Knots, and Other Small, Annoying, Problems
by SilentSleepingInTheCold
Summary: Harry has really done it this time. He's stuck his nose where he should not have and learned too late what it's going to cost him. Some things should never be brought up between enemies. DMHP
1. First Knot

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything associated with the books, movies, and what have you.

**Summary**:Harry is quite the amazing person. We can all agree on that but there are times we also agree that he should not get into things that cause him grief. And this time is no exception. Sometimes Harry dear, leave well enough alone. It'll only cause you grief.

**Pairings**: DM/HP, some RW/HG, one sided HG/DM (Only mentioned in the first few chapters) and anything else I feel like mixing into the soup.

**A/N** One thing I want to say before I go on my speel is that I've lost my very dutiful Beta **Kai** because of some promblems that she's going through. Since this makes me very sad I dedicate this new peice to her and hope that soon she can beta my stuff again.

This story was created on another one of my more sugar induced imaginative sessions so if it's a bit off or weird, I take full responsibility! In other news I tried proof reading this but it soon proved that I still hate proof reading my own stuff and feel I need another person's opinion so please welcome **Chronyi**, who offered to be another beta of mine. And since that is all I really have to say enjoy the story :)

* * *

I remember, once I untied a knot in one of Hermione's necklaces. She had been playing with it for two hours in a double potions class with the Slytherins. For those two hours she had not managed to work the knot out and I was getting annoyed with how she was fiddling with the damned chain. I said to her, "Here Hermione, let me fix that for you," and I proceeded to take the links from her hand and pick at the tight coil of metal with my short fingernails. 

Ron looked over my shoulder to see what I was doing and I paid him no mind. Hermione tried to grab the piece of jewellery back but I stubbornly refused to let go of it. I looked down at the chain and positioned my hands under the desk so Snape would not notice my distraction.

The chain had been tied up in every possible way and if anything, Hermione had made it worse by trying to fix it. I picked at the chain slowly, unravelling the thin metal millimetre by millimetre. Ron commented that I should give up because it was taking so long and Snape was starting to glare our way.

I ignored both Hermione and Ron for another few minutes until the chain gave way to my ministrations. I returned Hermione's necklace to her knot free, and received a bright smile in return. She looked at me for a second like I was to be revered. Sitting in our seats we only received minimum glares from the Slytherins and Snape for our hushed conversation.

For a moment, I must say, I was proud of my skills in untying knots. But now I can't say I'm proud at all. I've untied a knot in the past that should have been kept balled up forever.

Ron and I never noticed it, but that makes it all the more pathetic. Hermione saw and ignored it. I guess Ron should be happy Hermione loves him, even if he's remained clueless to why he hated the idea of anyone else touching her for years.

Malfoy, Draco Malfoy, the stupid git, likes Hermione. I wondered when the hell it came about, because he's supposed to be the ultimate muggle hater, but no one gives a girl that look unless they have some feeling for her.

When Ron saw the look, he was ready to pulverize Malfoy into a matchbox.

'Persuaded' by Hermione and I, Ron has been left with the choice to either ignore it or stick to his girlfriend like glue. I didn't think I would ever confront Malfoy on it but tonight it slipped my mouth like soap. Still, remembering today makes me wonder why the hell people are attracted to others at all.

"_Fuck off Potter," Malfoy said as he pushed me into a wall. It didn't hurt that much because Malfoy was barely pushing me around. I still think the fight in him has been lost. I still wonder if it's knowing Hermione is with someone he can't stand._

"_Malfoy, just because you can't have Hermione doesn't mean you have to constantly take it out on me whenever you lose a fight with Ron—Not that Ron wins many of his fights, anyway," I replied and dug one of my fingers into his secreted knot._

_ Earlier Ron had picked a fight with Malfoy because he'd smiled at Hermione. Hermione had given Ron a curse for being so pigheaded, but still he'd managed to hex Malfoy to the ground. The fact that Malfoy's pride had been hurt didn't bother me, but it bothered Hermione because she was being friendly to him. _

_ Oddly enough he's been friendly back, even when he'd made it clear he hated muggles. _

_ You could say they'd formed a bit of a friendship, but not strong enough for Ron to trust Malfoy around Hermione. I don't understand why Hermione would be nice to Malfoy but I can't say I want to get into the little triangle because Hermione feels sympathy for just about anything._

_ What started mine and Malfoy's spat was my bumping into him by accident when he was already in a foul mood. I personally thought I was just sticking it out for myself but that look on Malfoy's face makes me feel pity. He likes Hermione, and she's being friendly to him but won't reciprocate his feelings. _

_ Then again, that sodding asshole did pick this fight with me so if he gets hurt he does deserve it! "Shut up Pot Head. You heard Hermio—n—ee." Malfoy finished off in a whisper. He must have figured out that he'd dared to say her name out in public, and it was kind of amusing in a sadistic way to see him blush._

"_I heard Hermione?" I say in a challenge for him to continue._

"_You heard Granger," Malfoy regains his snobby tone and posture. And damn, I was beginning to like seeing him unsure of himself! "She said Weasel was acting like a complete fuckwit. I could only agree with her of course." _

_ I think I hate it when he regains his composure and hides a part of himself that isn't a bastard._

_ I pick around, looking for an entryway to untie him. I don't think it will be too harmful to untie his knot. "Too bad she can't agree with you on some things isn't it?" I ask. I'm not sure if this is what I want to do. Maybe I should quit while I'm ahead and not hurt anyone._

"_Well goodnight Malfoy. I think—." _

_ Malfoy grabs me before I can say another thing and shoves me into a wall. I'm not scared of him, but that look he's giving me makes me feel at unease. What's he thinking?_

"_You think? Let me tell you what I think Potty," He says with a smirk, a knowing smirk, "I think you turned Ginny Weasley down because you're not attracted to women. I think you're a fucking pouf who would rather be the girl. And I think I know I'm right." _

_** Don't look so sure of yourself Malfoy.**_

_ Touché Malfoy but nowhere near the truth. I'm not a pouf! I just didn't find Ginny as attractive as I thought I did. She really was perfect for me, but a little too perfect honestly. How dare he suggest that I am...!_

_ I give him a glare full of anger and hiss, "Yeah right! Sorry Malfoy but that's not one of my knots. Now let go of me before I start to think you like Hermione AND are bisexual." _

_ I am the one with the upper hand now I'm sure of it. I know I untied one of his knots; I'm an untying genius!_

"_One of your knots?" Malfoy asks with a raised blonde eyebrow. He shakes it off and presses me further into the wall. Shit it's starting to hurt, is he going to break my nose again? If he does I'll break his jaw. "You're weird Potter. Weird, stupid, and clueless. I thought Zabini got it all over the school, I AM bisexual, you prat."_

_ I think my mouth has dropped wide open. I feel a bit stupid for being so shocked by a confession, and in front of me, of all people. I bet this is a trick. And I'm a bit wary to be pressed this painfully into a wall by a guy who's inclined to like other guys. That's not exactly natural._

_ He grinned at me and raised a fist. I closed my eyes and waited for the punch. I was also anticipating being able to kick him in the balls so he'd let me go and I could leave this conversation where it stood forever._

_ Before I knew what was happening he punched me in the stomach and I was falling over in a bit of pain. I picked up my leg to get ready to kick him, before he grabbed my chin roughly and gave me a heated kiss, with tongue too! _

_ Apart from the initial shock I pushed him away quickly with a look full of disgust when he let my mouth go. Malfoy had just kissed me! This had to be the worst day of my life. "Don't tell Hermione," Malfoy whispered with a wink. I don't know what spell took me on to blush._

_ He cackled and walked away. I was half inclined to go and punch his lights out but I figured I was late enough. I had been going back to the Common Room when I accidentally bumped into Malfoy._

And so that is why I'm now sitting in the Common room wishing I'd never untied Malfoy's knot. So it appears he liked Hermione, but likes guys as well. I hope this doesn't mean he's attracted to me because of that kiss. I hope that was not the real knot I've been working on all this time.

* * *

Review please, let me know what you think. 


	2. Second Knot

**Diclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter. Never have, never will. The plot sadly, is mine:P

**A/N** Okay, I was really trying to keep the plot from shooting out of control too soon (I must have deleted and rewritten it five times! >. ) but I ended up with this. I think it goes along smoothly enough. I thank **Chronyi** for beta-ing this story today as well :).Well I hope the readers like the next installement to this random story. (For it was indeed, very random.) I have also been trying very hard to keep them in character... but I think I might have failed miserably on Harry's part. Oh dear, I am sorry -.-

**Pairings:** DM/HP, some RW/HG, and first onyl mentioned in the first few chapters, one-sided HG/DM.

* * *

"Go ahead without me, my shoelace is all knotted again," I told Ron and Hermione in frustration. 

I need to buy new shoes, or at least new laces, because these have been frequently deciding, of their own damn will, to trip me by tying up together. Don't ask me how.

Hermione looked back, but I waved her off.

Ron took her arm and pulled her towards the Great Hall. "Come on Hermione, we'll be late for supper," he said and Hermione could only glare at him before being tugged off to lunch for the day.

I knelt down and started to work with the knot in my shoelaces, ignoring the footsteps I heard approaching me.

"Wow they finally left. Potter, do you have any idea of how hard it is to get you alone without your pack of followers?"

_Oh no, HIM!_ is all I can think when I hear that sarcastic voice behind me.

Forgetting the fact my shoelaces are tied across my shoes in a crisscross fashion, I get up quickly.

I'm starting to wish I'd never told my friends to leave me alone. Since I'm a bit mindless today, or actually any yesterday or tomorrow that I'm near Malfoy nowadays, the first step I take is my last.

In other words my shoelaces come to a tug of war and bring me almost crashing down.

I say almost because Malfoy caught the back of my robes, and had now forced me to stand upright, choking me, to his sadistic bisexual delights.

"Why Potter, if I didn't know better not to doubt your brave Gryffindorkish self, I would say you're scared and jumpy because of me," he tells me.

_I hate you, I hate how you annoy me, and I hate—how completely fucking right you are._

I look back at him and try to ignore the fact we are in public at lunch hour and my nose might be only an inch or two away from his.

"Don't hope for too much, Malfoy. Now let go of me and piss off," I reply to him.

He lets go of me but doesn't take my advice.

"Well then, if you're not afraid of me, then you'll be fine to come with me to the Quidditch pitch," he says in a blind statement, not a question.

_Is he assuming I will just come with him? After what he did to me! Is Malfoy nuts? _

I stand in front of the Great Hall, and I'm not even daring to look back at Malfoy, a boy I was sure would never intimidate me at all.

"What about lunch?" I pose the very important question, about food of course. Always thinking ahead, yep that's what I do! _More like you want to avoid spending time with Malfoy, since he creeps you out now._

I ignore my conscience and lean over to finish untying my laces.

"Potter, your stomach is the last thing you should be thinking about right now," Malfoy responds.

My laces lie unravelled and undone on the floor as I stand up and turn around to face him with a questioning stare.

_If you were looking at my ass, I will kill you with the killing curse right now._

His expression, an aloof smirk, only adds worry to my thoughts. Trust Malfoy to do anything and everything to get under my skin.

_Well it's not going to work this time._

"Oh, and what should I be worrying about Malfoy? According to your idioticity?" I ask.

"I wouldn't call wanting to spy on the Ravenclaw team idioticity," Malfoy responds and slicks back a piece of blonde hair that fell out behind his ears.

_I always knew the Slytherins were cheats!_ I stare back at him like any man would at a crazy fool; with confusion.

"Now why the hell would I do that?" I ask him. He shrugs and seems to roll out his answer to me.

_I'm not stupid you know Malfoy. Give me some credit would you?_

"Oh I don't know, because they are really working on some good strategies and it would be worthwhile for us both to know what those are," he replies finally.

I look at him with wide eyes because of his audacity to say that.

It would be better to hear about it and plan for it, not be the reason everyone hears about it!

"Malfoy, I'm not spying on the Ravenclaw team," I say. I start to turn away but Malfoy steps on one of my loose shoelaces and my footing gets mixed up.

I stop walking and catch my balance, turning around to glare at him.

"Why not, Potter, too good to do that?" Malfoy challenges. I pull my foot back from his in an attempt to release my shoe but instead I lose my shoe. Malfoy picks up my shoe before I can grab it back.

"It's wrong to spy Malfoy! Now give me back my shoe!" I order. I'm now being forced to stand on one foot so my feet don't get cold through my white socks. Stone floors are really cold, and it's only made worse by the fact I spend my school year in a castle.

Malfoy only smirks, holds out my shoe, and lifts it high above my head.

"Come on Potter, come get it!" He says and then takes off. Oh shit, I could go and retrieve my shoe from the psychotic bisexual or I could go to lunch. Hmmmm, hard choice there.

I am soon racing after Malfoy, hoping I can grab my shoe before we get outside to the Quidditch pitch.

"Malfoy, did you really have to drag me all the way out here?" I ask, gingerly putting on my shoe behind the Quidditch stands. I'm actually going to be spying on the Ravenclaw team because of this freak beside me. Well at least something can come of this other then a soggy sock and a satisfied Malfoy.

"Yes, you need to see this," he replies. I look over at him as I finish up with tying my shoelaces properly. Taking my weight off of the stands I creep over to him and look over the side, and catch a glimpse of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. Nothing spectacular is going on really, they're gathering in a circle to plot out their strategy and practice.

"Why do I need to see this? And how do you know I need to see this?" I ask, annoyed. My one foot is really bugging me because it feels wet and cold. Malfoy pushes me back behind the stands and smack my mouth harshly.

I cover my mouth with both of my hands, wincing at how it hurts and whispering angrily, "You did that on purpose!"

Trust Malfoy to look for any excuse to hurt me. Bloody prick, why am I still even here? I got my shoe back, I should head back to the castle and hope I can grab some lunch before it's over.

"Shut up and look when I tell you to, Potter! And I know because Rogers' got some crush on me, so she'll tell me anything," Malfoy hisses out at me. I glare at him as I stop nursing my mouth. I try to laser my eyes through his head for being so much of a cheating, sneaking, bastard.

"Oh, come off it Malfoy! Don't give her hope just because you have none with Hermione," I hiss back at him. I'm going to leave, right now. I can't stand Malfoy and my feet are freezing. I might get a cold, too, because of this.

Malfoy grabs me by the collar and stares furiously into my eyes. Now I have cause to be a bit fearful, because he looks like he's ready to shove a barrel of dynamite down my throat.

"Shut up about Hermione would you? I am doing you a fucking favour, you got that?"

I stare him down, silently demanding he let go of me. "No, because leading a girl on is wrong," I say. He only grunts in my face like Goyle or Crabbe would. _Perhaps they're wearing off on him? _He doesn't let go of me though, only shakes me around so my head starts to hurt on top of my cold feet. Oh, today is not my day.

"And Hermione being nice to me, while knowing I was head over heels for her, was right?" He asks bluntly. _Oh shit._ Even if it's Malfoy, I feel sick to my stomach for bringing this up. It's not safe territory to talk about his feelings for Hermione, because we are anything but good friends who talk about these things.

"Well—Uh, no, not really. But what was she supposed to do? Tell you to bugger off?" I ask him back. He puts me down slowly, stepping away from me and slicking a hand through his hair again to put it back in place. I take a step back towards the way we came. _I want to go._

"It wouldn't have felt nice, but there were times I would have rathered she was mean to me. Doesn't matter much now, though," he tells me.

I wonder why that is? Well, maybe he does have a point. I sigh and nod. I might as well cooperate in this little affair while it lasts. I hope Hermione or Ron saves me a bite to eat. I'm starting to notice how much my stomach is grumbling.

"I thought you still liked her?" I ask. I remember he said, "Don't tell Hermione," so he must have some feeling for her still? But that kiss he gave me has been the reason I've been trying my best to avoid him, just in case he's switched his affections to me. Well, if he did, he'll get more of a heart break then he got from Hermione, because at least she could find attraction for him. I am not interested in other men; I find it a bit disgusting.

"I do." Malfoy says. "But she clearly loves Weasel, what she sees in that idiot, or you as a friend for that matter, mystifies me,"

I back away from him quickly and he looks over the side of the stands at the Ravenclaws again. _Sneaky cheeky git! I'm leaving!_

"I'll let you know there are tons of reasons she sees me as a friend, Malfoy! And why she likes Ron!" I protest. Glaring at Malfoy, I feel the urge to leave and forget we ever had this conversation. That or punch him in the gut.

Malfoy asks me challengingly, "Oh yes, like what?"

He's standing beside the wooden stands with a cool profile. But he's taunting me with his expression. I know the answer of course and respond angrily.

"Like being kind to her for one. Oh yeah and not ever having called her a mudblood or been cruel to her!" I half shout back at him.

Malfoy whispers 'shhh' and looks out to his side again, checking to see if anyone had heard my outcry. I was planning on leaving, when he looked back at me with a condescending glare.

"Fine, prove to me that you have good qualities. Treat me as your friend for a day," Malfoy replies.

The request is sharp and I don't realize how well timed the question was. Right when I'm worked up.

I stamp my foot down on the grass, and without thinking I say, "Fine, I will!"

I wait for his answer impatiently.

"Okay fine. It's a deal." He grabs my hand and finally steps away from his position at the corner of the stands. We shake affirmatively and the movements of my arm seem to jolt me back to 'reality'.

"Yes, a deal," I respond. I'm a bit dazed as I replay the conversation in my head. Malfoy then walks past me, towards the castle.

"Well Potter, I'm going to get what's left of my lunch, what about you?" Malfoy, having stopped after a few paces to wait for me, asks. I start to turn after him but not to follow.

"Wait, what about the Ravenclaw team?"

I'm confused because the reason I was skipping my lunch was to see what the hell the Ravenclaws had up their sleeves. But now he's heading back to Hogwarts and hasn't even told me why he dragged me out here! _Merlin, I hate Malfoy._

"Oh that? Potter, you didn't actually believe me, did you?" Malfoy asks, his laughter making my stomach sink into the ocean. _You mean you dragged me out here for nothing!_

"What else was I supposed to believe?" I snap out. My glare only makes Malfoy laugh harder. He shakes his blonde head and smirks at me.

"Nothing, I'm just surprised you can be so gullible!"

He winks at me and starts to walk away. I stand there behind the Quidditch stands glaring at the back of his head, my anger smouldering in my body.

It wasn't until then I realized, Malfoy had wanted to get me alone and he was happy with the results from our conversation. _I agreed to be…_

…_TO BE FRIENDLY WITH HIM FOR THE REST OF THE DAY! What kind of an **idiot** am I?_ I'll have to ask myself that question for the rest of the day. I don't trust Malfoy and the Slytherin will easily get me riled up. _I'll just stick it out and any questions my friends ask me, I'll tell them the truth. It can't be **that** hard. I'll be able to beat Malfoy; he's not intimidating or smart._

I had walked all the way back to the castle, and had managed to grab a seat at the Gryffindor table in order to at least eat a sandwich. Hermione and Ron had already run off to numerous places I could think of so looking for them in the short time I had left was out of the question.

I was busy riffling through my book bag to check if I had my Transfiguration books when Malfoy cam up to the Gryffindor table and boldly asked, "Potter, would you come with me to my Charms class?"

My head shot up and I stared at him with surprise. It was apparent he'd caught me off my guard because of my expression. This saved me from hearing the whispers around us in the Great Hall, because my mind was trying to register what Malfoy had just asked of me.

_No of course, wait, Shit. I'll kill you Malfoy, one of these days I'll ram a few choice things down your throat. See if you can embarrass me then! _

"Malfoy, I have Transfigurations, how will I go to the Charms classroom and get to Transfiguration at the end of lunch?" I ask, hoping with all of my being that this will save me.

It doesn't.

Malfoy, with a back up plan, reminds me, "We can go right now, provided you have your books?" He looks—normal for once. He's not angry or attempting to curse me off the floor. And he actually looks like he'll let up if I don't have my books. _This is fucking scary,_ is the only comment I can register in my mind.

I wonder for a moment if he's trying to be friendly with me so he can get accepted into Hermione's circle of best friends. If he did it might make him look better for her! I'll let him know that it's not going to work once we're alone in the corridors.

"Yeah I have my books. We'd better get going, I don't plan on pissing McGonagall off," I reply and get up stiffly. Everyone near me, and then some, are staring at me as if I've swallowed a fork.

_I'd be staring at me too if I swallowed a fork, my throat wouldn't be shaped very nice._

"You never plan on pissing her off. You manage it perfectly every time though," Malfoy responds. I want to laugh but I can't seem to. I'm not comfortable around Malfoy and the way he said it didn't sound like a joke anyway. He said it almost negatively.

_Us treating each other relatively friendly isn't going to work. We're too different to ever like each other._

Walking starts a squeaking in my shoe again, reminding me I was planning on changing my socks and drying my feet after I ate. Malfoy and I get up to the second corridor when I stop and kneel.

"What are you doing Potter?" Malfoy asks me.

I take my wand out and dry my foot and shoe. With annoyance lacing my voice, I reply, "It was because of you that my sock got soaked. You can wait for me to dry myself off, your Highness."

Malfoy smirks when I stand back up, and I look into his face.

"Always," Malfoy whispers in such a small voice I think I imagined him whispering it at all. _Please, if there is any sort of thing as a god or a goddess, tell me Malfoy is only trying to be nice to me because of Hermione._

I check around the second corridor but I don't see anything that I couldn't miss unless it was invisible. "Malfoy, if you think you're going to get closer to Hermione then you already have by trying to be friendly with me, you got an—" I start to say when Malfoy interrupts me.

"Believe it or not Potter, I'm not planning that. This is to prove that you have good qualities. Which I still doubt you have, as far as I'm concerned you're a fake hero who's starved for attention," Malfoy tells me and I find myself getting very pissed off at him.

I step closer to Malfoy and grit into his face my next few words, "Malfoy, I don't want that attention. You're the arrogant prat who can't stand anyone getting attention if it's not you!"

Malfoy glares at me and pushed me back, resulting in my bottom falling painfully onto the floor. Malfoy stands over me and places a foot over my throat.

_Are you going to strangle me! Malfoy's too much of a coward to kill anyone! _"Potter, I'll do something worse if you break your promise to be friendly to me again," He threatens.

I glare up at him as he releases my throat, but still take the hand he offers down to me.

"Malfoy, you—" I stop myself from insulting him and think for a moment before I continue, "You can't insult me and expect me to be nice to you!"

He blinks and then frowns before shrugging his wide shoulders.

_Malfoy, you're so stupid._

"We should get going," he says, and starts to walk towards another staircase. I find every molecule inside of my body boiling over and I wonder if I can stand him anymore then I already have.

Placing a hand on my throat I decide I won't break my promise because if Malfoy tries another attempt on my life I'll fight back.

I follow him and tell him off.

"Malfoy, don't insult me or I'm not going to be friendly with you. Promise or no promise."

He stops and turns around slowly.

_I knew it; we're going to kill each other._

"Potter, would you please shut up? " Malfoy says. He turns back and starts to walk up the stairs and I follow stupidly. I still have to get my say in; he isn't going to get off like he was all high and mighty.

"If you don't want me to speak then why don't I leave?" I suggest sarcastically. Malfoy makes a noise that sounds like "uuugghh" and he sounds very annoyed. I'm so glad we can get under each other's skin like we do.

"Put it this way Potter, if you don't stop annoying me, I'll fucking curse you to a muggle's hell," Malfoy responds. I frown and continue to walk with him through the third corridor. In the third corridor there appears to be a lot of second years, who are all staring at us stupidly as we argue.

"Yeah, well, what about how much you annoy me? If you didn't act so superior, I could have a chance of standing you!" I spit back at him. One second year starts whispering to another, I see them out of the corner of my eye and I can't help but think, _don't get the wrong idea! I don't even want to be around him anymore! _

"I am superior Potter," Malfoy states. He sounds so sure of himself that I throw up my hands in a bit of a dramatic spell.

"No you git, you aren't! I can't do this anymore. I'm leaving Malfoy, fuck the promise I made," I yell out. The second years are now all staring at us and as much as I normally hate it when people stare at me, I couldn't care less right now. I'm only trying to hold back the need to kill Malfoy.

I turned around and Malfoy grabs my wrist painfully. I look up into his equally pissed off eyes. "Let go of me Malfoy," I say. Malfoy lets go of my wrist but stands firmly still in front of me.

_I'm wasting too much time with Malfoy; I have to get to class_.

I decide to let Malfoy know that too, "Malfoy, I'm going to class now."

"Fine, Potter, but I warned you," he responds.

I turn back and send him a questioning look. "What are you on about, Malfoy?" I ask and fully regret it when Malfoy replies…

"You're going to regret breaking your promise."

"Uh huh, I'm sure I am, Malfoy. But guess what? It beats hanging around you!" I shout out and finally turn around, planning on getting to Transfiguration another way. _Late or not, I'm not going anywhere near Malfoy after this afternoon!_ I know it's sort of hard going up the other staircases because they like to trip you a lot, but I'd rather suffer that.

I heard what Malfoy said after that, but I chose to ignore it. He's just a crazy bisexual, what can he do?

* * *

I managed to make it to Transfiguration one minute before class started. Professor McGonagall stared at me sternly but I had made it to her class on time, so she couldn't punish me. I sat down beside Ron and Hermione but I ignored their questioning stares until the class was well under way. 

Once Hermione had made sure Ron and I had successfully turned snail into rabbit, she started to hound me with questions. "Harry, it couldn't have taken the whole lunch period to fix your shoe laces! Where did you go?"

I growled and poked my rabbit with my wand, making it hop off my table. "Malfoy is what happened me," I sneered, still upset about how my lunch had gone. Hermione gasped and I stared at her.

"What did Draco do?" she asked, and Ron now took full interest in our conversation. Before, he'd been poking at his rabbit, which was a lazy rabbit and didn't move at all.

Ron had laughed about it being half dead.

"It's Draco now?" Ron asked suspiciously, and Hermione only rolled her eyes at him. They had this argument more then once for the past month but in the end Hermione won. The outcome being she was nice and friendly with Malfoy and Ron could only glower at him and grunt whenever Malfoy talked to her in his presence.

"Yes Ron, it's Draco now. Just as you are Ron or Honey—" Hermione said but Ron covered her mouth over with his hand.

"That's all right Hermione. So Harry, mate, what did Malfoy do this time?" he asked, saving himself from embarrassment.

_Well, Hermione gave Ron a pet name. That's something I don't ever want to hear even if I love that they've found happiness together._ I sit up in my chair stiffly, replaying mine and Malfoy's conversation through my mind.

"That stupid idiot stole my shoe, made me chase after him to the Quidditch pitch, and then said I should watch the Ravenclaw team to find out what they have up their sleeves," I relayed to them.

Ron stared at me as if I were a loon and pointed out to me, "But the Ravenclaws haven't been working on any new moves. I would have learned about that if they had been, Harry."

I replied a bit too harshly. "I know! That idiot then made me promise to be friendly with him! Then he started insulting me and we fought it out, ask any second year, they saw the whole thing in the third corridor!"

Hermione frowned and watched Ron carefully as he reacted.

"Hell, Harry, I was only saying!" Ron snapped back. Hermione placed a hand on Ron's shoulder and kissed his cheek gently. "What, Hermione?" Ron asked, his defensiveness deflating from her touch.

"Be patient Ron. Harry, why did Draco want you to be friendly with him?" she asked.

I shrugged.

"I don't know, he's got something up his sleeve. That's all I know. Hermione, does he still insult you about being a muggle born?" I asked. _If he's acting like such an ass with me, maybe he's still acting like it with her?_

Hermione stopped to think then shook her bushy head.

"No, he's been quite—Well, nice actually. If he wants to be, he can come off as quite charming."

Ron snorted, and I had to agree with him on this one, Malfoy had _no_ good side!

"You two may not believe it but he can be."

I laughed when she said that. "I don't think so, today he was all 'I'm superior this, you're a fake hero that, I'm a stupid arrogant prick this'," I imitated Malfoy's snarky voice and Ron snickered along with me.

"With you, he would," Hermione replied, opening her Transfiguration book. She was probably trying to figure out how to turn her rabbit back to a snail. Surprisingly the rabbit sitting on her desk was well behaved and wasn't running across the floor like mine was.

_I wonder when McGonagall will notice my rabbit is rolling under her chair?_

"Why's that?" I asked, tracing a small groove on my desk with my finger.

"Because he's annoyed easily with you. He's even told me that you two could never get along because you both want things to go your own way," she tells me. I look up at her and stop my idle tracing.

"You're kidding me? He thinks he actually knows the reason? It's more like he gets on my nerves and then pisses me off," I respond and Hermione only shakes her head.

"Mate, don't worry about it. It's just Malfoy," Ron tells me and I nod. But Malfoy still annoys me and when he feels flirtatious he scares me.

_Bollocks, I'll never understand what goes on through Malfoy's mind. Wait, do I want to?_

I sigh and turn my attention back to my rabbit. Then Professor McGonagall is holding in front of my face with a strict look on her face. "Mr Potter, I believe this one is yours," she says. _Oh shit, she's pissed. _

I smile sheepishly and grab a hold of it when she drops it down onto my desk. "See that you don't lose it again," she orders. I nod and kick Ron as he sniggers with a hand over his mouth. Rabbits, you've got to love them.

* * *

I'm really cursing every event that led up to this situation, starting with that damn staircase that moved on me! I had been walking to Gryffindor tower, minding my own business, when a staircase decided to lead me up to another part of the castle. 

With my luck, it was fate that cursed me to fall in line with Malfoy. He's still sore about earlier today and we're both equally pissed at each other for the world existing with the other in it. So naturally he shoved me into a wall and I pushed back. "Piss off!" I screamed eventually.

Malfoy now has me cornered and I'm really wishing he'd throw me off the staircase instead of stare at me with angry eyes. I'm not giving up, by any measure, but I don't want to be around him any more then I have to. I'm getting a bad vibe from him and it doesn't feel like he's about to curse me.

"No. Now shut up, you pleb," Malfoy growls out, stepping even closer to me. I kick out a leg but he dodges it.

_Pity, I was so hoping to hurt him_.

"Don't come any close—don't you," I was saying but he stepped closer so I pitched my voice up a notch, "Stay away from me you fucking—." Malfoy then stopped in his movements and frowned at me.

"Be quiet, we wouldn't want people to hear, now would we?" he says with danger in his voice.

_What the hell are you trying to pull, Malfoy? Of course I want people to hear me!_

"That's how you see it!" I say, pushing my leg out to warn him off again. He seems wary but at the same time confident in responding to my actions. I'm going to protect myself, of course, and wipe his face with the floor.

"Yes exactly." he says.

_I can't believe him! Oh no you don't!_

"Stay away from meeeeeeeeeeeee!" I scream before Malfoy pushes himself closely to me and brutally attacks my mouth with his.

I am once again in the worst situation possible. I regret ever trying to be friendly or trust Malfoy right now.

_I'm not making that mistake again, that's for sure! Now how the fuck do I rid myself of this disgusting pouf!_

Malfoy has gotten bold enough to wrap his fingers into my hair and push me closer into the wall. I try to bite out the tongue he is forcing into my mouth with my sharp teeth, but he yanks on my hair.

That only results in me crying out and allowing Malfoy more entrance into my mouth.

I feel him smooth a hand through my hair and I lift up my arm to punch him in the chest.

Finally!

I watch Malfoy fly to the ground from the force of my aggression with a smirk on my face.

_AHA! Take that you freak!_

"I said stay away from me! Why are you so thick?" I exclaim aloud.

Malfoy frowns and glares up at me from the floor. He pulls himself up and presents himself like the arrogant prick he is.

"I'm not thick Potter." Malfoy retorts.

"Yes you are! Or else you would understand the phrase 'Fuck Off'. What is wrong with you?"

I'm not asking a question, really. I just do not want to get sexually accosted by Malfoy again. I would prefer the way my stance and arms are crossed makes me appear strong, not vulnerable. But I can never tell.

"Nothing." Malfoy replies. He says the word so smoothly and assuredly that I don't register what he has said right away. I was actually going to go on about how he shouldn't try and molest unknowing people.

"Yes exactly! And—NOTHING? Are you trying to be funny?" I want an answer to that question. _Malfoy you must be one damn big prat. There is no one who could register your harassment towards me as nothing!_

I uncross my arms and look at him, flabbergasted.

"No. You're just overreacting to something as simple as a kiss," Malfoy replies. He looks serious.

_Well maybe you have kissed tons of people, but I am seriously lacking in the obvious great amounts of kisses you have received!_

Malfoy waits for my answer patiently and as calmly as possible for a pureblood. Soon he'll be blowing up at me; the more I react the more heated he will get. It is how it always goes.

"Simple?" I shout, outraged. I bet my face is starting to screw up with frustration, and I know my stance has crumbled as I feel my brain boil with annoyance. Malfoy only smirks. He must enjoy torturing people on a daily basis. _Why the hell did I just think that? Of course he does! He's Malfoy! Way to go Harry, point out the painfully obvious!_

"It's like you said, I do this because it never ceases to make you cringe," Malfoy states with a cruel smile opening up like a budding Sakura tree on his pale lips.

"Well then, stop it!" I tell him. My body is going to start shaking if I stay around this infuriating Slytherin any longer. _Because it makes me cringe? BECAUSE it makes me cringe! That's pathetic Malfoy!_ I have an inkling that this encounter is going to end in tears. Maybe I know it too.

"What, you want me to go back to insulting you and everyone you love?" Malfoy asks. It's not much of a choice and it doesn't take me long to figure out what he's getting at.

_So you'll kiss me instead of insulting me? _Malfoy smirks again because he knows I don't want him to insult my friends and family; and that I also don't want to kiss him as an alternative.

_Malfoy, you're not this sneaky. I know you're not so what are you playing at?_ I'm going to have to keep an eye on Malfoy from now on…

"Are you blackmailing me?" I ask. I'm bordering on affronted and somewhere in between angry or bewildered. I don't think all those emotions can show on my face or my figure, so if I look in a mirror will I see someone resembling a prune? All wrinkled with confusion.

"Technically, no. But it works out for me, now doesn't it?" Malfoy is grinning as if he won the World Quidditch Cup. He's far too happy for my liking, and it's leaving me lost for words and too angry to communicate rationally anymore.

"You—you—you. You-I hate you!" I manage to stutter out and end off in a forceful shout. I glare at him as harshly as I can, but Malfoy does not waver under my fury.

It's starting to get under my skin. _It's like my whole being is about to go into a seizure and the only way to release my anger is to shout it out…_

"As you've stated before," Malfoy says. He looks bored and the way he's standing suggest he his wasting his time on something meagre. His comment is the last thing said before I shout,

"YOU PRICK!" And then, I lunge at Malfoy and manage to get my arms around his neck. Malfoy fights back but it is apparent I have the upper hand in the fight.

I did, anyways, until Malfoy somehow manoeuvred his way on top of me and whispered something into my ear that I don't think I can ever manage to wrap my mind around to figure out what he meant.

_WHAT?_ My mind shouts at me and a blush so hot reaches not only my cheeks, but my whole face. I lay down still to the floor for a moment before I realize how I must look. I practically throw Malfoy off of me and I scramble across the floor in a beeline for the staircase that had led me to Malfoy.

I didn't look back to see what Malfoy was doing and if he shouted after me I am either to terrified or shocked to hear it. I ran as fast as I could up two staircases, behind three tapestries, and down on corridor until I was safely at the Fat Lady's portrait.

As I shouted the password the Fat Lady tried to reprimand me for being so careless but I flew past her and into the Common Room without even thinking where I was going. I know as I ran past everyone in the Common Room I got stares that clearly said, "What the hell happened to him? He looks like he's seen a Dementor!".

I didn't stop running to catch my breath until I collapsed down on my bed.

I pulled the covers over my head and tried not to think of anything. I soon heard footsteps running up the stairs and the door to my dormitory slammed open as Ron and Hermione both shouted, "Harry, what happened!"

I sat up; the covers falling off my body, and hopefully looked somewhat like a tame lion.

"I-I had a scare was all." I replied. I felt much more comfortable, in fact, I was ready to go and punch Malfoy's lights out for making me react so wildly.

"A scare was all? Harry, that looked like you were running from an entire arm of You-Know-Who's!" Hermione exclaimed.

I laughed without the humour and nodded. _I think at the time, that's what it felt like I was doing._

I know I can tell them anything. But this something happens to be rather embarrassing. Still… _Oh whatever! It's not like I wanted him to say that to me!_

"Okay fine… Malfoy and I might have gotten into a fight, Malfoy might have suggested something—"

"What did that slimy git say to you?" Ron interrupted me. He looked like he was about to burst by how red his ears were from simply hearing Malfoy's name. I gulped and blushed just by thinking it again. Maybe I am overreacting a bit but it came from Malfoy so that reason was enough.

"Ron!" Hermione shouted but Ron and Hermione could not bicker further since I had opened my mouth to speak.

"Malfoy said to me, whispered was more like, that he thought I could do much more interesting things under him then—then—violence…" I said and then blushed more furiously.

Hermione and Ron were both staring at me for a moment before they got over their shock (A little less freaked out then my reaction was, admittedly.).

"HE WHAT?" Ron finally shouted. _Ron, don't throw up, don't throw up. I know, it was sick but please, it happened to me! _

Ron looked as if he was ready to wage war, while Hermione looked very surprised.

"Did he really, Harry?" Hermione asked, a lot calmer then her boyfriend was.

"Harry, that's, that's, SICK!" Ron shouted.

_Thank you Ron. I can always count on you._ I thought wryly before sighing. I sat up on my bed a little straighter and stared at my two friends.

"Well I wasn't so much sickened by it, as I was terrified…" I replied.

"Why is that, Harry?" Hermione asked.

I stared at her as if she were from a different world. _Why is that, it's because—because—because… I can't even think of why and I know why it terrified me!_

"Hermione, it's obvious why it terrified him! It's Malfoy, and it's another bloke!" Ron said. He too was looking at Hermione as if she wasn't reacting strongly enough.

_Is that it—? Wait! What am I thinking? Of course it is_!

"Are you saying there is something wrong with being a pouf?" Hermione challenged.

Ron took a moment before shaking his head replying, "No, but Harry doesn't like blokes!"

I had a reaction that was more passionate then Ron's though. "OF COURSE IT IS! It's the kissing, and the touching, and it's the goddamn embarrassing comments! It's wrong, wrong, wrong!"

After my outburst though, I soon realized Hermione and Ron were staring at me with wide eyes.

"The kissing, Harry?" Hermione asked as Ron asked,

"The _touching_?"

Ron looked a little paler but he wasn't overly horrified. Hermione looked at me as if he had offended her. _Oh please don't tell me one of my best friends is for Homosexuals…_

"Well, I'm going to leave you two boys alone now," Hermione said.

I groaned because I heard the anger slathering her voice. _Please don't tell me I offended her. She goes into her homework to release emotions already!_

"That was a little harsh, wasn't it mate?" Ron asked me. _What are you talking about?_ I thought but only shook my head.

"I didn't think it was…" I said meekly. I realized I had said the wrong thing, and it felt bad. I didn't mean to upset Hermione.

_Maybe I said the wrong thing? She does feel strongly about people's rights… and she has been talking to Malfoy a lot lately. Maybe his sick ways rubbed off on her!_ Well, that's final, I'm officially horrified for Hermione's sanity.

"Well, it's Hermione. She's been going on about equal rights for all wizards and witches for some time now. Haven't you heard her?" Ron asked me.

By the look on my face, I hadn't.

"Harry! She even got me to see her point and you weren't even listening? I paid attention to her for _nothing_?"

I always knew Ron was unbelievable. "Why was it for nothing? You're on her good side for once." I snapped back. Ron stopped to think with his eyes towards the ceiling for a moment. The red head then nodded.

"Yeah but it seems wasted because when I have you to back me up… Then I don't really need to listen to her…"

_Ron, you're an idiot._

"And on that issue, why do you think I would have been listening?" I asked.

"Because you were always staring at her. You don't have a crush on her do you?" Ron asked, getting jealous and territorial. I roll my eyes at him, got up off my bed, and pushed him with the palm of my hand onto his bed.

"I was not staring at her I was…" I just realized it then before I could finish my sentence. _GOOD MERLIN! I was staring at Malfoy as he stared at Hermione… was he really staring at Hermione at all!_

"Harry, what's wrong? You look…"

"He was looking at me." I interrupted Ron blankly. I moved back and flopped onto my bed. I covered my eyes and groaned. _No wonder he's been making passes at me! I was probably looking enraptured as I stared at him. I was in a way, now wasn't I? Trying to figure out what it was exactly he liked about Hermione… He said he liked her though!_

"Who was looking at you?"

"Malfoy! Malfoy saw me staring at him! He hasn't been looking at Hermione for at least a week now, Ron! He's been looking at me!" I cried.

Ron got up and walked over to my bed. He looked really confused.

"I thought he liked Hermione though?"

"Why hasn't Hermione told him to leave her alone when they talk? Why has she gone on about Homosexual rights? Piece the puzzle together Ron!" I growled out.

Ron's eyes shot wide open and his mouth hung down low. "You mean you think he stopped liking Hermione and he switched… _to you?_ What on earth makes you think that?" Ron asked me.

"He's been trying to feel me up and he said he liked Hermione, but what if he meant as a friend?" I replied. Ron stared at me for a minute before bursting out laughing.

"What's so funny?" I asked. I stared at Ron with a confused glance of unease. _Maybe he's lost it?_

"Nothing really, I'm just relieved it's you, and not Hermione."

Ron did look relieved…

"RON!" I shouted. I threw a pillow at him and turned around, facing the wall, to sulk. Ron sighed and placed a hand on my shoulder but I shrugged it roughly off. Ron let out a sigh of frustration and left the dormitory. After hearing the door close tightly I thought, _I have seen my fear, and it's blonde._

_

* * *

_This happens to be literally, the longest chapter I have ever written in my lifetime. So please if you managed to get through this, leave a review. Please and Thank You!

Thank you to volleypickle16, Dark-lil-devil, and RedFrozenAngel for your reviews. I enjoyed them veyr much :)


	3. Third Knot

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Harry Potter!

A/N Okay this update is a little short and honestly there is more to this chapter I just seriously have no time to write. I have a sugery next week that had been causing me a little conflict and stress with school and I have to sort out my exams soo, I have no time to write >. So yes, the delay in updates _is _for a reason lol. Thank you to reviewers, this update is dedicated to you :) Hehe (And hopefully your large amount of patience ;) ). And a huge thanks to **Chroyni** for beta-ing this story at the last minute!

P.S I feel I should mention that this story is OOC, I am going for fun/humour and Harry's character just went 'Bye. Bye' so to speak! I am sorry for this.

* * *

When I got up the next morning, I started off by silently glaring at Ron, before making it apparent I wasn't mad. 

Enough.

Honestly, it just makes my life easier to forget that Ron only cares about Hermione's well being.

I can look after myself, I can fight off anyone, or I can die trying.

When Ron and I finally got down to the Great Hall, I ignored the Slytherin table completely. I didn't send one glance Malfoy's way, because I figured I must have made him think I was attracted to him.

And since that idea is an ugly one, I figure I must correct it immediately and get the point across to Malfoy- 'I hate you, you great git'.

Hermione was a little cold towards me, but when she did glance up at me she narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Harry, you're hair…"

"What about my hair?" I asked, confused.

What was any different about my hair? It was messy just like always…

Ron glanced my way and then Hermione leaned over the table, pointing at a spot on the top of my head. "Oh boy, mate,' Ron said, 'Hermione's right! There's something in your hair!"

"Well, what is it?"

"It looks like… a knot in your hair." Hermione replied. _What's so big about a knot...a knot…in my … hair…_

Clueing in, I jolted up in surprise and grabbed my hair, feeling around for the knot. Feeling around, I found it, and could tell it was very visible. "Well, it's not that bad…" I replied.

"Yeah, but you can sort of tell someone put that knot in your hair, since it's too big to be a random knot… that and it's a very well-tied knot, Harry. People are going to be wondering who put that in your hair," Hermione said.

"I don't get it, why's that a bad thing?" Ron asked. _You took the words right out of my mouth_ I thought, congratulating Ron mentally.

"Who put the knot in Harry's hair?" she asked, and I could have sworn she was mocking me.

_Okay, Hermione, so maybe last night I was out of line, but Malfoy's really starting to get on my nerves! Wait a second… no one but Malfoy--_

"MALFOY!" I shouted out, standing up in a rage.

Hermione looked startled, and quickly got back over to her side of the table before my head connected with her jaw on accident. Ron looked shocked at how angry I got, and before he could pull me back down to slap some sense into me (Which I would later be very, very grateful for if he had…) I was already crossing over to set my glaring from stun to kill.

"Harry!" One of my friends had squeaked, another had called, and one (Hermione perhaps) had screamed at me to get my focus off of Malfoy.

It didn't work because by the time Malfoy had looked up with interest, noticed me, and caught my eye, I was already looming over him with intent to do great harm on his person.

"Well, well, well. Hello, Potter." Malfoy said with a smirk, and his bodyguards stiffened, attempting the intimidating look.

Pansy and her friends watched with curiosity, while the other Slytherins made a sideways glance at the pair of us.

"Malfoy, what the fuck are you trying to accomplish here?" I asked, glaring down at him in a way I hoped was menacing. It was high time I got rid of him once and for all!

"Potter, you'll have to be more specific. I simply don't speak imbecile." Malfoy responded, smile growing when everyone around him tittered with amusment. I wasn't too offended, (after all I was used to this kind of thing from him), I just wanted a straight answer.

"Last night. Perhaps all of yesterday, and a few days before…" My voice wavered, as I soon came to realize I had the attention of everyone in the hall. And the teachers were watching us with wary eyes.

"Are you by chance referring to the 'talks' we had?" Malfoy was gleaming, he was basking in my awkwardness, he was enjoying my torture, and he was winning points very quickly with his house. _This had better not be some weird fucking plan to gain popularity or I'll--_

"Well, Potter?"

"Yes…" I was soon wishing someone had hexed me when I was acting without thinking, because all eyes were on me and I felt like shrinking back right away. But I couldn't back down now, I'd really gotten myself into a spot this time.

"I'm not trying to accomplish much. I thought it was very obvious." Malfoy said, rolling his eyes.

As if queued, Pansy asked, "What's obvious?"

"Oh nothing much."

"Malfoy-" I was starting to show my apprehension with a worried expression.

"Oh Draco, please do tell me."

I'm going to murder one Pansy Parkinson when I get my hands on her. Parkinson was looking intrigued and because of this everyone with a ten inch radius was listening to the conversation. Even her voice sounded interested.

"Oh well you know--"

"Oh Malfoy, please do shut up--" I growled sarcastically.

"Manners, Potter," Malfoy smirked. "Well, Pansy, you know those long cold nights down in my dormitory…"

_What the hell?_ I found myself baffled where this was going.

"Oh yes, horrid those are." Pansy prattled sympathetically.

_She's on his side!_

"And how I've found myself so alone now that you've gone off and dated that Ravenclaw…"

"I know, I am sorry for that," Pansy agreed. I found myself watching them with horror-filled shock because I had no clue what they were going on about.

"Well I don't blame you, after all I was still hung up over Hermione, but--"

"Oh, have you finally gotten over Hermione, then?" Pansy said… in a kind voice! _Uh oh, I'm in big trouble…_

"Yes, I'm sad to say her replacement is disagreeable though," Malfoy said tragically, as if this was a bloody drama.

"Disagreeable? In what way?" another of Pansy's friends asked. It was all too well timed and I soon realized they'd rehearsed this scenario.

_I'm going to perish, I'm going to perish, I'm going to be humiliated and perish. I hate Malfoy!_

"Potter here knows all about that, don't you, Potter?" And with that said, Malfoy looked at me pointedly.

_Hook, line, and sinker_.

I knew it finally, Malfoy had caught me and I had to take the bait. Because if I didn't, everyone would look to Malfoy for the answer, and I didn't want that. He'd probably sprout some story about how he got me to… _Don't got there, don't go there! _

Everyone had turned me to waiting eagerly for the answer. I swallowed and charged in.

"I'm only disagreeable, Malfoy, because I'm not interested. Now leave me alone, right now. Or else we'll have a repeat of last night."

Malfoy wasn't deterred. Everyone else had gasped at how straightforward I was. The attention was on me and Malfoy now, the two of us forgetting that Parkinson or the any of others had participated in this little… conversation… of ours.

"Which part? Where I got you down to the floor, or where you ran away with the biggest blush I have ever seen anyone wear? I have to say, I'd like to repeat both."

By now I was hearing a few forks clatter onto plates.

"Or how about where I punched you in the gut?" I challenged.

"You're going to be rough in bed, aren't you?" Malfoy said, grinning. I blanched for a second before staring at him for the loony he was. _In bed… you mean… _

_He means!_

"WHAT!" I screamed, whereas everyone else was a little calmer about it. In fact, I was the only one acting like Malfoy had done something atrocious, or even mildly offensive. Everyone else was staring at me, actually.

"You can't be a virgin still, can you, Potter?" Parkinson asked, amazed. _Why does this have any relevance to what Malfoy wants from me…? (It relates to the fact he wants to get into my pants though…) _

_DON'T GO THERE! _I yelled at my treacherous mind.

"Yes he can. You can't get anymore virgin than my Harry here." Malfoy continued and I chose to ignore the fact that he referred to me as his. I knew I wasn't his, so there wasn't any need to make a big deal of it, or so I thought.

"It's not a bad thing to not have jumped in bed with someone I don't really care about, now is it?" I asked, trying to defend myself. No one at the Slytherin table seemed to sympathize with this view, to my disadvantage.

"Yeah, but Potter, you're still blushing whenever Draco refers to it," Parkinson pointed out, everyone around her agreeing by saying 'yeah' or 'she's right'.

They didn't use a simple nod, and I briefly found myself thinking this could be for dramatic tension.

_I'm blushing? Oh I hadn't noticed, what with my face heating up_, I rolled my eyes at her mentally. "And that's because it's disgusting," I snapped at her, my patience with the Slytherins nearing its end.

"You turn green when you hear something disgusting, you don't blush." Goyle said. I blinked for a moment before turning my head to his unpleasantly heavy face.

_You said something intelligent._

This is where I promptly forget how to speak. Convenient really, seeing as I now felt grounded and unable to keep my stance on where I stood in the argument.

"Potter, don't you have something to say about that?" Malfoy asked me. 'Victory is mine' was clearly written on his face. The worst part of it was he knew I knew I couldn't defend myself, no matter how desperately I wanted to.

I took another brave, undoubtedly stupid, move. "Malfoy, even if I were to be inclined that way- which I am NOT- you'd be the last person I would pick to even befriend."

"And why is that?"

_I feel like I'm with a psychiatrist._ Malfoy even gave off a rather good imitation of a psychiatrist, his hands folded neatly together on the table as he waited for me to answer, and not to mention his serious face.

"You're a jerk. Not only are you a jerk, I know what's going on here."

"What, exactly, is that?" a voice I knew all too well asked from behind. I swerved around and stared at Professor Snape with a muted expression. His nasty expression was all I needed to know that if I didn't shrink to slink back to my own table I'd be facing the rest of my life in detention.

"It's umm... it's…" I stuttered.

"I can see it's not something I will tolerate. How about you go _sit down_?" I nodded and went back to my table, sulky, Snape talking to the Slytherins silently as I walked away.

"Harry?" Hermione asked tentatively when I returned to my seat.

I sat stiff as a board for a few minutes processing all that had taken place. From the Slytherin table, Snape was nodding to whatever Malfoy was saying.

_I wish I could read lips_, I thought wistfully.

I wanted to know what they were talking about, how Malfoy was covering for my outbursts, and if Snape was buying his presumably lame exuses.

"What did he say, mate?" Ron whispered, leaning over to speak into my ear. Hermione was watching us for my answer.

"Malfoy's a jerk off." I snapped back, letting my anger at the unfinished talk simmer. I tried my hardest not to make any rude comments about poufs, I finally feel like I might be in Hermione's good graces again.

"Why?" Hermione questioned. I glared at her for even trying to stick up for Malfoy this time. I sighed and slumped in my chair, grabbing a fork and spiking my eggs roughly.

Ron looked a little worried as his gaze followed the quick cutlery into the yellow food.

"He just is." I grumbled. _Stupid egg… tainting my plate… Just like Malfoy taints my life!_ I realized straight away drawing the connection of an egg to Malfoy was the most absurd thing I had ever thought.

"He's never been that bad before, Harry." Ron said, and I wanted to smack him. _Why are you all Malfoy symapthizers! Ron, that's like saying the Dark Lord doesn't murder people as horribly as he used to…_

I soon figured I had to leave those thoughts alone. "Am I the only one who senses Malfoy's doing something horribly wrong to me?" I asked. From my friends' stares and blank, confused looks, I could tell my answer was affirmative.

"Umm…."

"Yes, Harry. Why is that?" Hermione asked, placing her hands on the table, neatly placed together. It was then I got a strange sense of déjà vu. _Hermione!_

"I… don't know…" I mumbled, staring at her hands as if they were some very interesting specimen.

I stayed silent for the rest of breakfast, the next Herbology class, and up until lunch.

I couldn't help but shake the feeling people were in on something I wasn't. By the start of lunch I had forgotten I still had a rather large knot in my hair that drew quite a lot of attention from random peers, adding to my paranoia.

* * *

Review please! 

Thanks to** Dark-lil-devil, ura-hd, brat11, volleypickle16, mumimeanjudy, Elektra107, AshleeBrooke, Won-Won-Weirdo, Dark Angel Kira, HardActToFollow, Tora88, emeraud.silver, yaoinessdotcom** for reviewing, I enjoyed them all very much:)


	4. Fourth Knot

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter in any way, or anything related to the books or movies. I'm simply writing for my own personal delight and I am making no profit from it.

A/N I'm being quite serious when I say this story is very random. I'm afraid of it not going anywhere for certain reasons which I think show up in this chapter. Actually it's just one scene and the reason for this is because this was actually supposed to be apart of the last chapter but I had no time to write it. Oh boy I have a really bad feeling about this chapter... We thank **Chronyi **for her beta-ing work and helping out (Cheer!), any grammar/spelling mistakes found can be pointed out to me and I'll fix them.

Last night as I made a final check my word program went insane so I had to save it right away before it shut down completely. It has yet to work perfectly so what I managed to find in notepad is the best proofreading this chapter has had. -- I hate technology.

I am, again, so sorry for Harry's OOC-ness. (You have no idea!)

Pairings: One-sided DM/HG, DM/HP, RW/HG are so far the main pairings freatured in this.

Warnings: Starting now there's more sexual content, for this story it will never get to be too bad, I'm hoping! Well I'm done all my pre-story babbling so go on, read! It is again, only one scene for a reason already explained.

* * *

Somewhere in the middle of lunch I brushed a hand through my hair, finding the knot there again. _Oh shit! I forgot all about this damn thing!_ I was standing in the hallways like a fool as I fiddled with the knot until… 

Malfoy appeared out of no where, not unlike a hawk swooping down out of the sky. I stared at him, something I happen to do a lot lately (which really annoys me too,), and kept on prying the knot out of my hair.

_I can try to ignore him… He is the son of a bitch who put this bloody knot in my hair though! How can I not want to kill him!_

"I'm not talking to you." I told Malfoy as he approached me, glaring dumbly at him with my hand still attached to the knot.

_Maybe I can keep my mouth shut and he'll take a hint! It not too much to ask for is it?_

"Oh come off it, you can't still be sore about this morning. It was, after all, brilliant if I do say so myself," Malfoy remarks, smirking at me. I can't really understand why he has always been so arrogant, not that I want to understand it. But sometimes I would love it if he would quit with his normal personality and adopt a new one.

"It's not just about this morning! And no, this morning was not brilliant! You molested me and made a joke out of it!" I cry indignantly. My arm flings down to rest at my side, my fist balling up.

"I only kissed you, it could hardly be called 'molested'," Malfoy said, staring at me pointedly. _But you don't deny making a joke out of it!_ I thought angrily, by now getting worked up again.

This happens too much with Malfoy lately.

"Yes-yes it could, and it was! What--what you said…" I stumble, unable to finish my sentence without my cheeks tingeing red. Malfoy only takes delight in my awkwardness.

"I merely suggested how appealing you could be when you are not fighting and acting like an idiot," he responded innocently.

I frowned, giving him a disbelieving look. "Under you," I pointed out, reminding him in case he had forgotten (_Yeah right!_) why his suggestions are such a problem.

"Your point?" Malfoy asked blankly. I gaped at him and muttered under my breath in frustration.

_How am I going to answer this stupid slimy Slytherin? He evades everything and makes it look like I'm going around in circles! Maybe by now I am…_

"My point is--my point is…" I trailed off. I by now had no clue of how to continue this ridiculous conversation.

_Please Malfoy, just leave me alone... Right now I'd be prepared to give you my invisibility cloak if it would make you leave me alone! Wait no bad idea… _

Distracted by images of how Malfoy could attack me with the ability to walk around invisibly under my invisibility cloak, I was reminded of his damned presence when he spoke again.

"Speak up, tick-tock, tick-tock." Malfoy didn't look bored, although his tone and words would have hinted at it.

"Shut up! Merlin, you're so infuriating!" I snapped back at him, squinting my eyes up in frustration and annoyance.

"Yes, and you obviously need to get laid," Malfoy commented, leaning lazily against the stonewall.

I blinked for a second, the shock of his statement wearing off after a few seconds. _Would you please shut up about the fact I've never had sex? God Malfoy, find some whore who'll put up with you! Because it's not going to be me!_

"Malfoy, how is that relevant to anything?" I asked, wondering if I should even bother trying to understand his logic.

"I can think of two ways it's relevant." Malfoy smiled at me suggestively.

_I'm not buying it Malfoy. _

"Fuck off," I said again, feeling drained suddenly. All the emotion in my face left and I slowly let my side hold me up against the wall.

"No can do, now come with me," Malfoy said stubbornly, grabbing my hand and pulling me up off the wall. I wasn't in the mood to protest with him anymore but I couldn't just let myself get dragged off to Merlin knows where with this parasitic wizard.

"Why me! Go drool over a girl like normal people!" I tried to pull away from his grasp but he wouldn't have it as he dragged me down the corridor. Stray students watched us curiously, but I gave them a well-aimed glare and they diverted their attention quickly.

"Potter, sadly, you are as stupid as you are cute. I did like a girl, but she does not want me. I decided to go after something worth my while," Malfoy said, shaking his head as if I was a hopeless dunce. _I'm a guy; don't call me cute, Malfoy! _

_Shit… don't blush you fool!_ I told myself after feeling heat rise to my face at being complimented in a rude way.

"I'm not worth your while! I'm not interested in you! I'm not even a pouf! LEAVE ME ALONE!" I screamed, pulling my hand out of his grip and standing there stiffly with my feet rooted to that spot.

"And why is it that you're still single after dating a very attractive girl and breaking it off with her?" Malfoy asked as he turned around to give me the most scrutinizing stare I've ever felt from anyone. Even Dumbledore or Voldemort had never made me feel so out of place with a stare like that. And that is saying a lot.

There really was no reason for why I had wanted to break up with Ginny; it had been a gut feeling. Something told me we just weren't right for the other and I don't know why, but I could never shake off the feeling of it being wrong when I was dating her for that brief amount of time. _Lord knows how much I tried to make it feel right…_

But I can't tell Malfoy that. He would probably go on about how that indicates I'm a closet case homosexual.

_Which I'm not. I hope I'm not. Oh great, he's got me questioning myself now! Malfoy, you are the plague._

"I don't need to give a reason to that! I just don't want to be with anyone!"

I don't know how much longer I can keep defending myself; I'm starting to feel less confident in my retorts.

"And why is that?" Malfoy made it sound like a question but I got the sense it was more rhetorical than searching.

_Actually that's a great question, I don't really know why anymore_. I think I'm suddenly realizing what a problem this is.

"I don't have to tell you. If you can't figure it out for yourself, I won't bother telling you,"

And after saying that, I turned my face away from him and looked towards my watch. _Damn, lunch is no where near over, so Malfoy can keep annoying me to his little black heart's content._

"And if I can figure it out?" Malfoy asks and moves in closer, getting into my personal space with his face a little closer to mine. I feel my new wave of confidence falter for some reason. After looking him straight in the eyes I start to think, _What are we figuring out again?_

"Then you can leave me alone." I respond for want of a response, knowing now that I've lost complete track of the conversation. While staring at Malfoy's lips I send him a psychic warning: _Keep your mouth away from mine._

"And if I don't want to?"

Somehow I don't think Malfoy has received it. His smug expression is really unnerving and I know all my pleading for him to leave me alone is going to be proven useless.

_Why won't you quit! _

"I'll sock you again," I say forcefully through my teeth, as Malfoy gets way too close for my liking.

Malfoy grins and whispers into my face, "Too bad, I'll have so enjoyed this." The whisper makes my eyes widen, taking my guard down for a minute too long.

Grabbing my lips with his he gives me another heated kiss and allows me to let out a surprised cry into his mouth, it inevitably being muffled. With my mouth being open he sticks his tongue in and attempts to caress mine.

_Malfoy, get your tongue out of my mouth! _

Malfoy laced his arms around my waist and managed to push me up against a wall, his mouth still clinging madly to mine. As soon as I felt his hand creep up under my shirt and pinch one of my… _MALFOY! UNHAND ME NOW! _

I started to squirm under his grip but he only began to pull me down to the floor.

I knew I looked horrified but I couldn't help it because now he'd really done something to make me uncomfortable, his hands occupying themselves with pinching and violating me. I struggled with his weight on top of me until I managed to break my mouth away from his.

"MALFOY!" I screamed, wondering why no one in the corridor had come to my rescue. _Weren't there students down here before…? How the fuck can Malfoy manage to do this to me in broad daylight without getting reprimanded! Well I'll take care of this jackass! _I looked up at him with rage plastering my features, my eyes blazing murder.

"Yes?" Malfoy asked, calm as ever. He simply propped his elbows on the floor and looked down at me with amused grey eyes. This only helped make me more restless and aggressive, trying to use my feet I kicked around to make a point that I wanted him _off_!

"Get--get--get off of me... NOW!" I raged, kicking some more. I didn't even notice how my hands were placed; I was too concentrated on Malfoy.

"I'd rather not," Malfoy replied, looking down at me with interest.

_I don't care what you'd rather do or not do! _

"Did I say you had a choice?" I growled, ready to force him off.

"I always have a choice. I'm a pureblood." Malfoy told me, getting up on that goddamned high horse of his again. I glared at him as if I could laser twin holes through his forehead.

"Malfoy, please get off me," I pleaded, feeling at a loss because of my lack of control over the whole situation. My current position was lying flat on my back under an enemy; this was torture for me like the Cruciatus Curse was.

"I'm afraid I can't do that."

Malfoy looked at me as if it was my fault he couldn't get up. Which it wasn't, because last time I checked he was able to use locomotion to create movement. _Yes you can, use your limbs, you daft sod!_

"And why the fuck is that?" I hissed out, finally stopping my struggles to wait for his answer impatiently.

"You're holding onto my waist too tightly."

After Malfoy said that I paused in shock and noticed, I _was_ indeed holding onto Malfoy with my arms, my hands clasped into Malfoy robes so strongly that my hands were actually starting to hurt. _How the hell did I miss that? How could I not realize that I was clutching to Malfoy so badly my hands feel stiff now! WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME?_

I let go of him and with my sore hands pressed up against his chest and forced him away from my body. Malfoy got up on his knees and shuffled away from me and I sat up, trying to be as evasive of his eyes as possible.

"I--I--," I stuttered, looking down at the floor and pulling my knees up against my chest, feeling very stupid. _How could I not notice I was clinging to another boy?_ I by now felt quite repulsed with myself and the fact I even had the nerve to blush.

"You--You?" Malfoy mocked me, his tone cutting my pride. I refused to look up and see his face, which would be just as cruel towards my mistake as his voice was.

"Shut up. Leave me alone," I mumbled, my head falling down into my knees. Malfoy did not make to stand up but he did let out a sigh. The sigh let me know how pathetic he thought I was acting, or at least that was the sense I got.

_Shut up Malfoy, you're no better than I am sometimes._

"Oh so now you're sulking? It's not that bad, you know. Why don't you just relax?" Malfoy said in an exasperated voice. I jolted my head up, offended, to see his irritated face watching me.

"Relax!" I shouted, thinking _How can you be so cool about it! _I didn't get a chance to go on about how a straight boy cannot relax with a bisexual mad and depraved boy forcing himself on him because he's not attracted to said bisexual boy because Malfoy interrupted me.

"Yes, relax, Potter. It's not that big of a deal."

Malfoy sat back, relaxing, with his hands behind him for support. I look back down to my knees, a feeling of guilt still maiming my conscience.

"For you, maybe not," I muttered, pouting whilst staring at the floor. _Maybe not? Definitely not, Malfoy's his own walking disease. Nothing is too big of a deal for Mr. Holier Than Thou here._

Malfoy sighed and said to me, "Potter, I want you. Think you can handle that?"

I relaxed instantly because of Malfoy's audacity, ready to tell him _just _what I thought. "How can you ask me that Malfoy? It's fucking unnatural to me to be kissing a boy and then cling to him as if I was enjoying it!" After saying that I soon realized the mistake I made as Malfoy's eyes lit up and he grinned, pushing himself across the floor and closer to me. "I didn't say I was enjoying it! Get away!" I panicked and tried to keep him away with my hands, pushing him backwards.

"Oh no, I heard it! So you're admitting you like it now? Wonderful! Let's continue." Malfoy grabbed me around my waist and managed to sit on top of my legs, which had straightened out across the floor when he got under my skin for the thousandth time this week.

"Get away from me, you freak! We're not continuing anything! Leave me alone!" I objected, pulling my face away from his as he tried to leverage himself to gain the upper hand.

Oh no you don't, I thought as he tried again to push his mouth on my lips and turned my head so he caught my cheeks instead. _Kisses on cheeks feel soft…_ I thought abstractly.

"You keep saying that," Malfoy stated and I looked up at him apathetically. When I didn't respond to him, he looked down at my body and then back up at me. _What the hell are you thinking?_ I wondered.

"Well, open up your legs," Malfoy said and my eyes widened. _I never want to know what Malfoy is thinking again!_ I knew I should have just punched him as soon as he got close to me.

"NO!"

I was horrified that he had just said something that odd to me, as if I would be a girl in any type of relationship! I then punched Malfoy in the gut, watched him tumble to the ground, got up, and walking steadily away.

Malfoy got up and chased after me, his footsteps beating loudly against the floor in order to catch up with my fast pace. I swerved around to face him, creating wind that amazingly shifted Malfoy's stray strands of hair. "Stop following me!" I ordered.

"Come on Potter, just let me-" Malfoy tried, but I would not hear anything else he had to say, I was fed up enough with having him hovering around me. I would get a headache soon if he didn't leave me alone.

"NO you are not going near me, my zipper, or my…" I wavered off, pondering whether or not he would _actually_ be bold enough to try to get his hot little paws on my dick. _Decidedly not, Malfoy's too much of a coward to do that,_ I snickered in my head.

"Cock?" Malfoy finished for me, his blatant way making me blush furiously. I turned around read to continue my escape from him, when he grabbed my wrist.

"You're such a virgin," he whispered in my ear.

I eyed him out of the corner of my sight.

"And just how can _you_ tell?" I challenged. _Never mind that it's true._

"You're always blushing."

I sighed at his answer and rolled my eyes, looking forwards again._ Brilliant deduction, Malfoy, ten points to Slytherin_, I thought in a voice closely related to Snape's.

"I wasn't aware," I snapped sarcastically and snatched my wrist away from him. I tried to calm my blush down by thinking of anything less sex related that would make me feel less out of place with my knowledge. I really don't know much more than kissing as far as intimacy goes.

"Well, have you or have you not?" Malfoy expectantly asked. I stared at him with confusion, my mouth opening a bit as I tried to think about what the hell he was on about now.

"Not what?" I asked dumbly.

Why Malfoy doesn't ever make sense is beyond me, I don't simply know what subject he's thinking of so how can I really answer such a question as 'well have you or have you not?' _Try Trelanway for psychic attempts, Malfoy, not me._

"Have you had sex or not? You're pathetic, Potter," Malfoy replied with a smirk. I narrowed my eyes at being called pathetic, because it was his fault for not being more specific. _How do you expect anyone to understand you? Wait--who would want to understand you!_

"No, and I don't plan too lose my so called horrid virginity any time soon. I rather like my virginity. In fact, I like it so much, if you ever manage to get my pants off, I'm topping. To keep my so called virginity, of course," I said acidly.

_Me on top of Malfoy, now there's a thought worth shuddering over. Or him on top off me._ I felt a shiver run through my skin at both thoughts, not really wanting to pay attention to the image too much.

"Must you?" Malfoy asked, as if serious. His grey eyes weren't joking, no malicious joke held there. Although there was a hint of reluctance. _Does he honestly think I mean that?_

"That wasn't an invitation Malfoy," I told him, closing my eyes after feeling the familiar pang of a good headache coming on. _He thought I was actually serious, what is wrong with him?_

"Sounded like one to me." Malfoy didn't look deterred one bit with where this conversation was going. I didn't really want to keep talking to him so I kept walking towards the staircase in front of us that lead to the Common Room. I was safe from the idiot there.

"Well, it wasn't," I informed him, trying to seem disinterested now. Hoping that if I ignored him he'd finally leave.

"Oh come on, you sure you don't want to top me?" Malfoy asked, as if there was something wrong with someone not wanting to get their hands on his pureblood rear.

_I'm sure your arse is very nice to a pouf, Malfoy, how about you go find one so you don't feel so unappreciated? _

"I'm sure," I responded in a bland tone, making sure my walking was at a comfortable pace. I could always just block Malfoy out until I got to the Common Room, if he intended to follow me around until we got there. I wouldn't let him get too close though, can't have Malfoy knowing where the Gryffindors slept. _He might manage to get in and then… _Images of Malfoy slipping into my bed came to mind and I decided, _No, he's not allowed near the Gryffindor tower, ever! _

"Well then there's only one way to go." Malfoy said, pausing for a second to intake a breath, "I'm topping you."

I turned to face him and cried, "You are not!"

Malfoy looked disappointed, and this almost made me feel guilty. I say almost because there was the factor that I was not interested.

"Well, then, who's topping?"

_Malfoy, can you get sex out of your mind for ten minutes, just so you can relate with me? Please? _

"No one!"

"So it's a 69?" I stopped and turned to Malfoy after he asked that, having never heard of that term before. _What is he talking about?_

"A sixty wha--no! No one is doing anything! Now lemmego!" I whined as Malfoy grabbed my arm again (Yes by now I was so tired of being grabbed by Malfoy that I could no longer stand to stay calm.). I tried to pull away but he leaned in closer until our noses touched, causing me to stop all movement in shock or terror, I wasn't sure which.

"How do you get your fun, Potter?" he asked, his mouth pressing closer to mine for a chaste kiss, until I pulled away from him to ball up my fists. This didn't make him back away as I first intended, but by now I figure Malfoy just doesn't understand the meaning of the word 'boundaries'. Sadly.

"By not molesting people, apparently," I replied.

Malfoy only smiled at me with a gleam of mischief in his eyes.

_I don't like that look…_

"Oh, but honestly, Potter, that is the only fun," Malfoy said, the assurance dripping in his voice like poison. I gave him the look one gives to those proven to be clinically insane.

"Are you out of you're mind?" I asked, rubbing my head and releasing my fists. I was getting fed up with him, and I felt like I would snap if he didn't quit soon.

_Malfoy, you drive me absolutely bonkers._

"Perhaps, when you're in it," Malfoy said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. My mouth hung down for a second at him before I sighed and set my lips firmly in a frown. Malfoy only kept his cheeky grin.

"Malfoy… stop," I ordered, tired.

"Why?" Malfoy asked.

"You're giving me a damn headache," I stated bluntly, looking at my watch to know what time it was. _Lunch is over in fifteen… Well if I get a head start I won't be late for History. Not that I care, but it sure beats Malfoy buzzing around._

"Oh, I take that as a compliment." He sounded actually pleased, something that disturbed me greatly. I couldn't even allow myself to think anymore, or else the pounding in my head and irritation would continue.

I groaned and Malfoy told me, "Really, Potty, why don't you just give in?"

I looked upwards with exasperation.

"I'm not about to do that while you're calling me 'Potty'."

_Really Malfoy, is this what you've done to all of your dates? Yes I love you--Bitch. Must go over so well with people. You're most utterly charming._

"Consider it a term of endearment," Malfoy said, a light tone in his voice.

_Is he mocking me!_

"Fine, then consider bisexual pig a term of endearment," I countered, my displeasure evident.

"If I must. Anything for you."

_You used to be so easy to insult, what the fuck happened?_ I pondered to myself. It was true, Malfoy had once only needed to hear something foul about his name, pride, or 'purebloodedness' and he would be ready with his wand in the air and a nasty curse on his tongue. Actually, I was pretty sure he was still that way, only lately with me it was different. _I wish I still believed that he's after Hermione… Oh I wish…_

"Yeah right," I said with disbelief. _Like I'll believe that._

Malfoy grinned. "You do know that I'm going to get you," he stated, and I could not help but think that the only thing I'd get from him was a concussion.

"Maybe I should hammer it into you head, I do not like men," I once again said with the firmest tone I could muster.

_I've been saying it so much that even I think it's getting stupid…to say it so much._

Malfoy laughed right in my face. "As if you believe that could actually stop me."

I stared at him in surprise until I got a brilliant idea. It was just a flash in my mind, an image, a vision! _Man, I'm good_.

I smiled and said, "Oh, by now I figured it out."

Malfoy, probably because of my smile and sudden calm manner, let down his guard by returning my smile. "Figured it out have you?" he asked.

_You asked for it, Malfoy, just remember that in your pea-sized brain._

"Yes, the only way to stop you is to contain you." With saying that I lifted my wand up and said as quickly as I could manage, "JaulaBestia!" Steel-like spirals shot out of my wand and at Malfoy's surprised face. Malfoy barely had a chance to balk before the spirals wrapped around him and formed into a cube.

The spirals then stiffened and become steel bars, leaving Malfoy to hold onto to them in outrage. "POTTER! Get me out of here!" he yelled, but I couldn't spare an inch of sympathy for him. Actually, I found it quite appealing with him in that cage.

_I'm so glad the twins taught me that one, although I never imagined I'd be using it in this particular situation..._

"Say you'll quit harassing me," I said, refusing to budge from my position to let him out. I wouldn't be swayed by Malfoy to let him out under any other circumstance.

"You know I'll lie," Malfoy replied.

I was a bit shocked truthfully at how he admitted it to me. _Malfoy, maybe you've changed a bit… No! You're still a git!_ I remembered everything he was doing to me lately and even though he might have acted a little better that didn't change what had happened this morning, or yesterday, or the other times either!

"Well then, I guess you're staying in that cage," I said, and started to walk away from Malfoy. It was probably a very awkward situation for onlookers, but I didn't check to see who was watching me do this very detention earning action. _I just hope no one saw the WHOLE thing, now that would be embarrassing. _

"Potter! Come back! Un-cage me! Potter!" Malfoy called after me but I didn't bother to look back at him.

That's not to say I completely ignored him.

"Goodbye Malfoy, see you!" I shouted back at him, disappearing up a staircase to retrieve my books for my next class.

_I wonder how long he'll have to stay in there? I can't really worry about that, I'll be in a huge amount of trouble once a teacher hears about this. And knowing Malfoy, I'm in for one hell of a detention for payback…_

I didn't really care about all of that though, as I walked up the staircase, hoping it wouldn't change anytime soon, because Malfoy was causing me more grief than I was causing him. I was sure of it.

* * *

Review please! Keep any criticism constructive, thank you:)

Thank you to **ura-hd**, **Won-Won-Weirdo**, **HardActToFollow**, **emeraud.silver**, **Asato Sohma**, **AshTreeMeadow**, **Semma**, **yaoinessdotcom**, and **Amy** (I'll take you up on the cookie now:D) for your reviews, I enjoyed them all very much. :)


	5. Fifth Knot

First off, I would like to thank **Noxia**, **animesmart**, **red-rose-priestess**, **m.t.dog**, and **KaKiJo** who will helping me to beta my stories and post the faster! (Yay, fast!) I also want to thank everyone who offered to help me, I was hoping to get at least four people to help, but the response I recieved was more than I thought I would. :D **I dedicate** this chapter to my betas and those who wanted to help me. This chapter would not have gotten updated as quickly as it did had I not recieved help, I am very grateful. :)

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Harry Potter! And sadly, I do not own Snape either. Or anything to do with the books!

**Pairings**: One-sided DM/HG, DM/HP, RW/HG and any others I feel like mixing in!

A/N: Mwhahaha! It's updated! Dances This update was sitting on my computer for... maybe two months? I am very happy that it's going to be posted now! I know I promised an update for this in the summer, and it was written. It just was not able to get beta-ed. Forgive me please. I thank **red-rose-priestess**, **Noxia**, and **m.t.dog** for beta-ing this chapter as quickly as they did. I cannot thank them enough, really. Give them a round of appalause! I snuck a kissing scene in here, heehee. I suck at limes and lemons but I am sure the kissing will be okay. I have one word, fragement really, which I would have liked to change the font of. I'm not sure you can do that with fanfiction on a free account; if at all. Gah. Frustration, frustration. Technology in general just hates me, honestly. I must have broken the photocopying machine at my old job a record number of times. Now this curse is following me to the internet! Sniff

**Warnings**: I don't think there are that many this chapter. Maybe just a general warning that this is slash. As is everything else I write!

* * *

"You did what!" Ron exclaimed loudly in the Common Room, after I relayed today's happenings at lunch with Malfoy. After being put in a cage, Malfoy shouldn't be bothering me anytime soon! _Although maybe I did go a little overboard because now I have to complete a bunch of detentions for the week… he just had to mention who put him in the cage to Professor McGonagall. _

From what I had been told by McGonagall, Malfoy had been found first by his lackey's, Crabbe and Goyle, and then came along Professor McGonagall. I can't help but break out in laughter at the thought of Crabbe and Goyle trying to get Draco out of that cage, blundering as they do so, while Draco curses angrily at them. _That is the best image I've had all year…I bet the spell was too powerful for them to break._ And in my 'thought', when McGonagall comes along I snicker more to myself at how horrified she looks. Actually, perhaps I laugh more at how sour Draco looks when he sees her coming to 'rescue' him from the cage.

_It must have been embarrassing on a level because he was in a cage in public... no wait! What he did to me in public was more embarrassing! No, no, he got exactly what he deserved. I shouldn't sympathize with the 'enemy' just because he might have experienced some of the embarrassment he had caused me recently… but hasn't he really seemed to become interested in me? Did he really…_

"Yes he did Ron! Weren't you paying attention when Harry was taken out of charms class?" Hermione said, receiving my full attention to my friends again, and away from my stupid thoughts. _Malfoy… deserving sympathy… there's a laugh… right?_

"He was asleep," I commented and Ron glared at me. _Don't hide behind me and use me as a pillow when you decide to take a nap during class next time! _I could remember very clearly at how pissed McGonagall looked as she barked for me to follow her to her office and explain myself. It was surprising that Hermione had not heard Ron's snore throughout the silent class as I was towed away. Then again, when you see a teacher that angry, you can't help but wonder what the student did to get in such trouble.

"Ron!" Hermione looked at Ron with accusation and Ron could only smile at her, as if that would get his feet out of warm water. I leaned back against the red couch and watched Ron defend himself from Hermione's harder work ethnic expectations.

"It's not my fault Flitwick can't make a single concept class interesting," Ron said, acting touchy. I didn't say it out loud but I was thinking how right Ron was. Sitting there and listening to Flitwick go on about how to complete a rather complicated spell could get tiring.

"No wonder you can't perform the most basic of charms Ron." Hermione jabbed, crossing her arms and sitting back in her chair across from Ron and me.

"Hey! That was uncalled for!" Ron retorted. I couldn't help myself; I had to snigger at the couple. "Shut up Harry." Ron told me, a bit infuriated, but more embarrassed.

I glanced at my watch and frowned. The hands were pointing towards 7:00, in other words, my detention in the dungeons with Snape would be starting in ten minutes. _Wonderful, I'll be stuck in that freezing classroom with a disgruntled Snape for an hour tonight._ I could only feel miserable about that drawback at my earlier brilliance. McGonagall had been pretty angry, he guessed, to put him in detention with his 'favourite' teacher.

"I have to go now," I said, lifting myself off of the relaxing couch and straightening out my robes.

"Why?" My two friends asked in unison, both staring at me. _It's kind of obvious!_

"Detention, what else? I still think Malfoy should be getting a detention too… only McGonagall said that putting him in a cage was completely unacceptable. She was livid," I commented, thinking back to how much I had gotten lectured. I could here it ringing in my ears still, _'Nothing gives you the right to cast that spell on another student! I don't want to hear what he did to you, it cannot justify your actions Mr. Potter.' _I feel it annoying though, that she wouldn't even hear what I had to say about Malfoy. _I need a restraining order._

"Well Harry, you did put him in a human sized cage that he was stuck in for a day…" Hermione said as Ron countered, "He probably deserved it though."

"Hermione!" I cried indigantly, glaring at her. _Stop standing up for him! He deserved it, he did!_

"Ron!" Hermione shocked, said._ Yes, how dare he tell the truth about your new friend Hermione, _I grumbled darkly in my mind.

"Hermione, since when has Malfoy ever done something where he didn't deserve to get a bit of payback?" I asked her, and her expression told me I was right.

"Well sometimes he can be an ass… bu-" she tried to defend him but I cut her off urgently, knowing that I was losing minutes to run down from the tower to the dungeons.

"Hermione, you can't justify the fact he laid his hands on me without my permission and then pinched me!" I was now feeling sorry for myself and I wanted to stay here and argue my case to my friends about Malfoy's true, horrible character.

"He pinched you?" Hermione asked, looking taken aback. _(Finally!)_

"Where?" Ron asked, sounding unsure. _You really do not want to know Ron._

Not really wanting to say much on that subject, I left the conversation as it was. Plus I was late for detention. "I have to get down to the dungeons, bye!" I said to them, avoiding answering their questions, and taking off.

Hermione called back at me, "Harry you still have that knot in your hair!" Distracted, I looked back at her in mid-run, and in the process I knocked over a first year by accident. Whipping my head back to help them pick up their books and offer bubbling apologies with a flushed face I realized my time was short. _Shit… Snape will murder me. I'll be chopped up into Harry steaks if Snape has his way with me being late…_

"Thanks for reminding me Hermione! I'll deal with it later!" I yelled across the Common Room, earning a few stares, and ran out of the entrance. That poor first year I toppled over was still staring at me as if I were a whirlwind that had just passed by. Her hair was even slightly messed from our collision but I barely registered that in my hurry.

* * *

I don't mind detention, if you just do it as fast as possible and get out of there. But with Snape that is damn near impossible to do. So I was not enjoying myself in the slightest. How could anyone enjoy themselves cracking various potent nuts? _Walnuts are now the new bane of my life._

With another walnut placed in the nut cracker I squeezed with my aching and red hands again, hoping this one would be easier. _Why can't I just use a spell for this? Oh right, what I did to Malfoy… _Snape had been especially mean tonight because of that, in all likeliness. _I hate you, you bastard_, I thought to Snape as I looked at my pained hands.

"Potter, I want to go in ten minutes, and if you don't prepare those last twenty walnuts in that amount of time, I will increase your detentions for a whole month!" Snape barked at me, sitting in a lazy position at his desk. As he reclined in his chair, watching me with his obsidian eyes, I muttered darkly under my breath, 'It takes me ten fucking minutes just to crack one of these damn walnuts.' _And you seem relaxed enough, **sir**._

Somehow, I don't know how mind you, I managed to crack twenty walnuts in ten minutes. Snape's insults only got worse as the time neared to five minutes. That was motivation enough for me to get the job done for 8:20 on the dot. _I hope my hands won't have welts on them after this…_

When I cracked the last walnut, I cheered inside because it was exactly one second before my time was up. The fact I finished put Snape in a fouler mood than he was already in at having to take over my detention this night. "Get out of my sight Potter." Snape ordered, and I gladly did as he asked.

As I packed up the nutcracker into the box it came from, I thought about the lucky bastards who didn't have to crack nuts tomorrow. I then sorted the nuts I had peeled out of their shells painstakingly into labelled bins.

As I dumped the last of the walnuts into their respectful bins, I left the potions classroom as quickly as I could and made a beeline for a washroom near the Great Hall. Entering the lonely bathroom I stared in the mirror and pulled out my wand. Pointing it at the knot I cast a spell with a swish of my wand.

I watched as strands of my hair unravelled and slowly came to create a tuff that stuck out in my unruly mop. Smiling with a sense of accomplishment I tucked my wand back into my robes and just as I was starting to head towards the door, it opened.

Malfoy walked in and the bathroom felt colder than what was normal. I turned to him, wary, that gaze he was sending my way wasn't a pretty one. _It's not predatory, is it? Oh shit I think it might be. I'm in trouble_. "What do you want?" I snapped, putting distance between us.

"Well it was interesting, being in a cage. I thought I'd repay the favour."

"You don't have to."

"I think I do." Malfoy came a little too close.

"And how do you plan to repay that favour?" I threw at him.

"At first I thought I might want to strangle the life out of you-"

"Now Malfoy, that's a little harsh…" I replied calmly, watching for any signs that would indicate when Malfoy turned violent. _If he does get violent at all…_

"Yes I thought so too. And since I'm not a barbarian like some people," Malfoy stared at me pointedly, "I decided to let you off easily."

Images of being pushed down ran though my mind, but just as I was turning to make a run for it, Malfoy, showing off a rather cunning move, body bound me and let me fall to the floor. _I shouldn't have fell for that one, it's something a First Year can do! Fuck me, Merlin!_ I stared up at him with my unmoving eyes. _Why hasn't he attempted to murder me yet?_

"I'll let you go, and I won't injure you if--," He looked down at me, he looked quite angry too. _There's always an 'if' isn't there?_ I would be glaring back if I could. "If you allow me to 'molest' you as probably put it in your delusional mind."

_I wonder if fear still shows in my eyes even though I can't move a muscle…_

"And since you can't really decline..." Malfoy said and then leaned in closely to me, releasing the body bind only when he had me 'securely' in his grip.

"Malfoy!" I said, trying to hopefully put a stop to any sort of punishment Malfoy wished to dish out for me.

"Oh, no you don't!" Malfoy said and pulled me in for the kiss, squashing my hands in between our chests as he sucked on my lips. _This is... uncomfortable... my hands..._ I was realizing that I was already accustomed to the feel of Malfoy so close to me. _Now there is a thought that I never want to have again._

_Why won't he give up? If he gave up so easily with Hermione why won't he stop? He didn't make so many moves on her, damn it!_ I stayed still until he finished moving his lips over mine, then I pushed him back fiercely so I could 'breathe'.

"Okay, there you go, now piss off," I said, hating the way it sounded, because I was trying to beat down the feeling that putting him in that cage was wrong; I had done something he didn't deserve.

"Who said I was done?" Malfoy questioned and I stopped, staring at him. _He's furious, usually he's horrible at hiding it… he's not really hiding it though is he?_

"What! No, no, you're done. Unhand me right now," I said, stepping away from him, trying to ignore his hands' close proximity to my bum.

"Shut up Potter, you've pissed me off this time," He snapped, leaning closer. _Wait a damn bloody minute Malfoy!_

"Well how about how much you've pissed me off?" I retorted, glaring up at him as he pushed his face closer to mine.

"Tch, like that matters! Now..." He slowly trailed off as his breath ghosted over my face.

"It does too matter! Mmmph!" I cried, getting kissed roughly again. As he meshed our lips together I recoiled, desperately trying to regain some sort of dignity that one could have while kissing another of the same gender.

I bashed my fist's against Malfoy's shoulders and he stopped kissing me, wincing, "Ow, ow, ow, Potter! Quit it!" Glaring at each other as our wills clashed I clenched my fist and raised it. _That's right Malfoy, grimace, I'm going to get nasty now! _

"You've had your fun, let go of me!" I ordered. Malfoy kept his gaze on my fist yet still did not release my waist. "Malfoy," I warned, though Malfoy still seemed unconvinced that I could do harm. _I'll deck you soon, I swear I will._

"I was in a cage Potter."

"I was molested Malfoy."

"Oh come off it, was it that bad?"

"YES! It was, I think I'm scarred for life because of your so called 'attentions' now."

"Hey! I've been told by many that I'm amazing! How dare you suggest…why you-," Malfoy spluttered. _What did you think I, not liking other men, wouldn't be traumatized by being approached by another guy!_

"Are you done being offended? I'm straight you git. Get that through your thick-," Malfoy leaned in and smacked his lips against mine, effectively stopping any words I had yet to say, or thoughts I had left to think, away from me.

I felt something prick my skin, like a tiny tick chewing its way, but the feeling was expelled from my mind when the kiss became gentle. Soft skin rubbed my lips and I felt a strange sensation. For once I felt a need, a scary need that I am sure from now on will always make my skin crawl and my insides turn into quicksand, sucking down all reason and hiding it from my stupid, stupid mind. This need urged me to give a kiss in return, to pour something back into those lips, although I could not tell what exactly I needed to (Or wanted to, really.) gush out and force onto Malfoy.

Malfoy seemed to know, or at least understand, what I could not seem to get, through my body language. I should have realized sooner that pushing myself closer to Malfoy so I could deepen the kiss was a bad idea, a signal-a signal for Malfoy to stop and drive me insane once more.

Malfoy let go of my waist and I floundered, trying to get a grip on my deteriorating reality. _Why, why did I…_ "Potter, next time, don't question my ability." There it was… that was all he had to say to break his carefully woven spell.

I blushed horribly, searching for a response, but I was extremely flustered. "You-You-ARSE!" _Great Harry, I'm amazed by my own ability to think up of a response to that—that—that… Oh god why did I feel so good?_ I sobbed in my head.

Malfoy got up and left, parting with saying, "Good night Potter, have a lovely time fixing your 'problem'." I did not register the triumph in Malfoy's voice and I blame it on my distracted mind, which was only focusing on that kiss. _I wouldn't initiate a kiss though, I would never… Gross—Good_. Turmoil was the only thing floating around in my head.

"Argh! Kill me now," I whispered, my confusion budding into a flame. A small match of ignited anger, too small to matter yet it was nagging for my attention.

"I hate Malfoy, yep. There's nothing for it, I must avoid him from now on. To the best of my ability, I swear that I will avoid him. What the--?" I muttered to myself, feeling my tie a little tight. Attempting to take it if off, I realised I could not. Turning to look at the mirror I stared in horror at what was printed in rather large letters.

**Draco Malfoy's Potty.**

* * *

"Harry, would you calm down!" Hermione squawked, trying to push me back down onto the bed before I ran to the bathroom for another attempt at washing my tie back to normal. 

"GET IT OFF!" I cried in a panic, trying to pull the tie off, choking myself in the process. _I don't care if I have to cut of the air circulation to my body, I will get the confounded tie off of my neck! I HATE Malfoy!_

"Harry maybe you should--," Ron tried but I gave him a rather evil glare that made him gulp and shut up right away.

I sat down on the bed while fuming, "I'm going to murder Malfoy and throw random bits of him around Britain ; I even tried cutting the tie! This thing won't come off!" I furiously glanced over at a pair of scissors which had failed in shearing my tie off and succeeded quite famously in nicking my neck.

"Umm Harry…" Hermione said calmly, managing quite well in a situation such as this.

"WHAT!" I snapped, beyond reason.

Hermione reached her end. She stared me down as I stared back, a tad bit too defiant to deserve help from a friend, and spoke softly at first, "Harry, if you want me to help you…" She put her hands on her hips, "SHUT UP!" _I didn't know she could do **that**_, I thought as her voice echoed off of the walls but it did help me to calm down and think more rationally.

"Woah Harry, she's mad now," Seamus smirked, laying his book down on his legs from where he lounged on the bed across from me.

"You're not helping," Hermione said in that voice, the voice that wouldn't necessarily scare Peeves, but certainly make him think twice about where and on who he was about to drop that large bowl of chilli. Seamus went back to reading instantly.

Hermione explained to me, "Harry I'm afraid he used a complicated spell. He must have set terms with the spell before he cast it; it's really quite interesting, actually." _I don't care about the fact that Malfoy has bought brains!_

"This means…?" I questioned her, in a sarcastic tone.

"That tie won't be coming off your neck until you meet the terms Draco set on the spell," She finished, I could sense a bit of pity coming from her.

My mood darkened as I came to the realization, "… I have to ask him what the terms are, don't I?" I looked at her with hope, as if she could tell me this were all a bad dream and Malfoy was actually a bit of undigested sausage from this mornings breakfast.

"I can't seem to find the terms in the fabrication of the spell so… yes." In my dread of the morning to come, I think I pulled off how I handled the next few minutes rather well, in a composed, dignified way.

"I'm going to plot a murder now, leave me alone please," I said and drew the curtains to hide from my friends.

I felt like so frustrated I knew I could cry if I allowed it. I had been trying everything I could to pry the annoying, embarrassing message off of my tie, and when I used a spell to shear off the piece of cloth, the threads magically sewed themselves together. I was in a spot; Malfoy had intentionally proclaimed me as his. _And I haven't even agreed…damn him.  
_

* * *

The end of the fifth knot.

Join me next time for the sixth knot!

Review, tell me what you thought! I like to hear what you think. The only thing I ask is that criticism be constructive! Thank you!

I want thank all my reviewers, I love and enjoy your reviews. :D I know I haven't updated in a long time and I am sorry about that. I think (As all my betas are probably tired of hearing by now... Hehe.) that the updates will go very smoothly from now on, I have good feelings about it:D


	6. Sixth Knot

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, or anything to do with his world, merchandise, etc...

**Pairings:** Main one: DM/HP. Also featuring: HG/RW.

**A/N:** It has been a while since I last updated but for the holidays I have an update for you! Happy Holidays, hope you enjoy this update! I am very grateful to KaKiJo and Alexa who did an awesome job of last minute beta-ing on this update. I could not have posted without their help; they deserve chocolate, so you may leave your offerings in a review! There's not much to this chapter, except maybe poor Harry as he... warms?... up to Draco. And as always... the loveable, pushy, Draco prevails. (Not really!)

I promised quicker updates and that is what I am aiming for. I am sorry there are still long waits but that isn't something I can avoid until I'm finished with school altogether. The work I still have to complete comes first and does take up most of my time. I am sure that many of you understand this problem, please be patient. I will continue to update as many chances as I can get. Thank you:)

-Sleeping.

* * *

I ended up sleeping with my tie still on. I was not going to relent and try to find Malfoy as fast as I could so I could engage in another witty banter with him. It was certain that we would start to argue all over again and the tie would be forgotten, left among other, less important thoughts that do not include our ongoing feud- sexual harassment. (As if it could be anything else!)

_I can always attempt to hide the message under my shirt... Although it would still be obvious I am wearing a tie and then it would look strange to have it tucked under my shirt… Damn you, Malfoy._

I turned over on my bed, closing my eyes tightly. It looked rather odd, to have a black tie on when I was wearing striped pajamas. However, I resented the large, gold letters that shaped into, '**_Draco Malfoy's Potty_**' even more. It was not something I would cry over but I was left with the ongoing feeling of unease for the morning. My stomach was churning butter and I did not want to spare one moment on the thoughts of how other people would see the message Malfoy had plastered onto my tie.

_What if people start to think we have a relationship? Merlin knows who's seen us kissing and who knows Malfoy's attempted to do more! He's probably gone and told all his little Slytherin followers how great he is to actually make me… NO! That did not happen. It is final. Malfoy did not manage to…_

I let out a whimper into my pillow and closed my eyes tightly. I whispered angrily, "This is not fair… Malfoy, I'm going to kill you! I won't let you walk all over me! I'll break this spell without knowing your terms damn it! Watch me Hermione!" _Can I even manage this? I have to!_

I then started to fall into my uneasy sleep, trying to convince myself that I could manage to overcome this tsunami and ride on top of it. I acknowledged that I could fall and get crushed under, namely Malfoy, easily. That would be the worst part. _Who knows what Malfoy would do to me?! I don't want to think of it…_

I am not certain when I finally did manage to get to sleep but now I am wide awake and shaking. It was awful, my nightmare.

* * *

The purple shade of the bed looked off in the room. _Where am I?_ A pair of hands grabbed my tie and flung me down onto the purple cover. _Why aren't I fighting?_ Something is straddling me, push it off, I should struggle, run, keep running until I am free. Straddled still. _I cannot fight, can I? Heavy, too much…_

A soft kiss reaches my lips. 'Nnnnmm'. _It feels good, better than Ginny's, different from that…_ Closed eyes soon open to find grey eyes and blonde hair staring me down. Fear wells, pushes over a threshold and causes me to start my flight. _No, no, stay away from me Malfoy, get away!_

Malfoy keeps me there, on the bed. Pushed down, I look up at him, feeling groggy and mad. _Malfoy please stop…_ Malfoy does not listen, he kisses me again and I respond, my black hair falling into my face as he plays with it. Pleasure.

That's it.

* * *

Ron shoves the curtains surrounding my bed aside with such force that a wind blows my hair around. I stare at his sleepy face, wide-eyed, my body still shaking from having woken up disturbed.

"Harry, what's wrong? Why did you scream?" Ron asked, alarmed. His red hair was mused and his night shirt slanted, his expression told me enough that he'd rushed out of his bed as I had rushed out of my dream. _It was awful, Ron, DISGUSTING AND AWFUL!!_

"I had a dream," I said in an unstable voice, shaken to my core.

Ron looked even more concerned. "Voldemort?" _What?! Of course not, him I can handle damn it!_ I send Ron a look, crossed between questioning and scathing, it might have caused Ron to become more alarmed. Wrong reaction desired.

"No, worse!" I said with assurance. Ron appeared to be puzzled and from behind his red head came a great yawn from one of our other dorm mates. _Oh come off it Ron, there are some things worse than Voldemort!_

"Malfoy." One word, it was meant to be enough explanation. Apparently it is not. Ron stares at me as if I have just said something redundant, lying useless among reasons to have awoken him. I implore with me eyes, pleading with Ron to see my plight telepathically. _Ron, you know Malfoy is evil!_

"Potter," Seamus says, looking over Ron's shoulder, "Is that why you woke us up?! Because you've gone and had a spat with lover boy; and now you feel regret?! Fuck!" Seamus sends me a nasty glare before he stalks back to his bad and sits down in a huff. _What?! Okay, I felt some regret but that's all gone now! And we are not lovers! Never in homosexual erotica history, I say!_

"HE'S NOT MY LOVER! GET THAT STRAIGHT!" I scream, vibration bouncing off the stones. Ron covers his ears and cringes; but I feel only anger. I cannot find the compassion to be concerned for how everyone in the dorm is tired, compassion was wiped out, erased. Lack of sleep and Seamus combined is my insecticide for compassion at this hour.

"Sure he's not; you're dreaming of him for his body, love has nothing to do with." Seamus retorts, lounging on his bed now. Acting carefree, yet spite is lacing every little detail to his person.

"I—I—I!!" I stutter, too affronted and tired to even rebuke Seamus. _You bastard, Seamus, you bastard. I do not like Malfoy's body because it is a guy's! _There is a hesitation, Seamus is slow with the quips, and Neville has come up to my bed gingerly. He takes his chance cautiously.

"Harry, maybe you should go back to sleep?" Neville suggests calmly, smiling at me reassuring. I try to not glare at Neville, he means well, but I cannot help but frown and scowl inside. _You're right Neville, I need sleep… But first let me disintegrate Seamus._

"Great idea Neville! But wait—Potter here will probably wake us up in an hour again because he's dreaming of Malfoy sucking him off!" Seamus snaps. Neville shrinks back behind Ron, who's turning a bit green. An image appears in my mind too, but green is not my reaction.

Horrified. I cannot speak, I cannot say a word, I want to kill myself. Malfoy brings red to my mind. Realization resorts me to a shaking mass, I let out a small sob. Blank. My mind is white.

"Knock it off Seamus," Ron growls out in low tones and I am back in my bed, small droplets coming down from my eyes. _Forget it Harry, it's just a nightmare, it's all a nightmare. Bad dream. _Ron sits down on my bed, giving my comfort in his 'manly' way. _If I were Hermione he'd be even more stupid and clueless._ I console myself with that.

Dean intervened to make peace for us all. "Seamus, go to bed, just because you're tired and grumpy, don't take it out on Harry. It's not his fault Malfoy's attractive." Seamus let's out a snort but out of respect for his friend he shuts up. Yet Seamus is not the only one to snort. _Malfoy, Attractive? HAH!_

"Why do you all think I'm attracted to him?!" I ask in irritation, slamming my fists into my sheets.

Silence. Everyone stares at me, blinking once or twice. "What?" I ask, genuinely confused about their reactions._ I don't find him attractive! I don't… I cannot… No_. I seem to only know confusion when it comes to Malfoy. So strange.

"Goodnight guys," Dean says, and goes back to lying down. Seamus has already taken his leave of reality, snoring silently from his bed. Neville heads back to his own bed, but Ron stays seated on my bed.

"Ron, I'm not attracted to Malfoy," I tell him. I _sound convincing, good._

"Of course not, that would just be plain wrong!" Ron says, grinning at me. I can tell from his expression that he could only consider Malfoy a rival. (As Malfoy should be, that is the only pleasurable place for him.) The world is righted. _Thank you Merlin, someone's still sane in this world._

"What was Malfoy doing in the dream? Was he killing you?" Ron asked, ready to kelp me think of many ways to cause Malfoy's unlikely, yet still fun to imagine, death. As we always do after Malfoy irks us. _This is right._

"No, he was kissing me," I respond, grimacing. _Why he was kissing me, I don't know, but I will not find out. And that is that._

"Uuuh…" Ron says eloquently, eyes darting to the side as we enter an awkward silence. _Never mind Ron, this is out of our league and in left field, I know._

I save Ron from listening to anything he didn't want to hear. "I'd rather not talk about it; I have been scarred too many times in the past few days because of Malfoy." _I'm going to be insane for the rest of my life…_

Ron sighs, relieved. But something else lingers in his face. "Okay, Goodnight Harry." He heads back to his bed slowly, yet he is running.

"'Night Ron," I yawn out. _I'm too tired to try and decipher that look. _I lay back down, my goal simple, sleep. However, I hear something suspicious on Ron and Neville's side of the room before I manage to get to sleep.

My ears perk as I first hear Ron speak in a hushed voice to someone, probably Neville. "Not attracted to Malfoy my arse, he was dreaming of the bastard!" Ron grumbles a complaint. _Ron! Traitor!_

Neville lets out a small squeak in response, "But… Harry's not… gay!" _I love you Neville._

"I know Neville, all right? It's fucking strange though, dreaming of kissing someone you hate." _Tell me about it. _Shuffling my head into the pillow, I block out the world.

"Mmm." Neville agreement is the last thing I hear.

Quiet silence.

* * *

As I walked down to breakfast I felt even more awkward than I had in a long time. I tried to keep my tie hidden under my shirt, clutching it tightly with one hand and smoothing it out again. _Clutching your tie over and over again won't help, Harry_. I remind myself. It is not like the tie will disappear anytime soon, a fact I abhor. _Unless I decide to surrender to Malfoy. _There is no choice, surrendering would bring consequences too horrible to speak of.

_My dreams do wonderfully well in bringing the consequences to reality…_ I think to myself, remembering. Lips to mouth, weight weighing down, hands to body… _Wait a minute! That was not apart of my dream! Oh no! Malfoy's gotten to me! _I stop walking towards the Gryffindor table abruptly.

My friends had been on edge walking down to the great all with me but with my sudden stop they seem to be even more cautious when speaking to me. "Harry, are you feeling okay?" Hermione asked, her arms moving slowly so I would not get startled. _No, no I am not! And you're not helping Hermione!_

After no response Hermione tries again, "Harry?" Ron leans in closer to me and asks,

"Is it the tie Harry?" The tie again! I had completely stopped fiddling with it, distracted with Malfoy. The tie is a knot I can not undo; Malfoy created this knot. _Is this something I cannot fix?_ I wondered. What there is to fix is uncertain, unknown to me, and discouragement wells and overflows because I cannot untie something. I cannot work this out. (Alone) Pressured, I burst.

"NO! IT'S NOT THE TIE, IT'S MALFOY! He's sucking me in, Hermione! He's making me go insane!" I cry out. Hermione backs away from me, into Ron, her protector. _My thoughts are disjointed… I'm so sorry guys._

Everyone in the great hall had unnerved stares directed at me. And then I see him. Malfoy, staring at me with an expressionless face. _I need to bolt._ I cannot explain the need for sudden escape but I know it must come. Or else I'll kill Malfoy, or do something else drastic. I turn away from Hermione and Ron, retracting my steps to breakfast.

"Harry? Harry, where are you going?" Hermione calls out.

"Mate? What's wrong?" Ron echoes.

"Harry?!"

I stalk away, ignoring all the looks I am receiving. Frustrated, annoyed, and disgruntled, I am in no mood to be around others, well meaning as they may be. Concern is no consideration to my well being when I am this pissed off. _It's not enough that Malfoy's invading my dreams; he has to get into my thoughts now too! It's not fair!_

_Never mind the tie; I'll keep it on all my life if it means I can avoid Malfoy! I cannot fix this. It's only getting worse as time goes on…_

* * *

I skipped breakfast, so by lunch I was good and hungry. I had no desire to go to the Great Hall or the Kitchens, my morning outrage caused me to receive bizarre looks from everyone including my friends. _It's not my fault Malfoy gets under my skin!_

No one had seen the tie yet, which gave me a pathetic comfort. The fiascos happening between me and Malfoy could, possibly, be mistaken still for fights. However doubt crept up, people had seen us kissing…

A few of the younger grades were staring at me as I passed them in the hallways that morning, awed but at the same time… I sensed their harmless giggles were more at my expense than anything else.

_Stupid little kids! What do they know?_

The younger grades were easy to ignore but from there, it spiralled down, to a dark pit that I felt I could not escape.

Aelecia Loren, a lovely Ravenclaw, had already made a comment to me about 'switching sides', causing my mood and embarrassment to deepen, down to the darkest water's bottom. There is no rescue, not when pretty girls start to think you like guys instead.

I stop, turn sideways and bang my head on a window sill. Whispering harshly to myself, "Oh why, oh why was it me?! What did I do?!" I knew it had to stop, this confusion. I hated Malfoy for creating the chaos in my normal universe, for up-heaving the normal order. _How did that asshole manage it?!_

Looking up, I notice a group of younger girls staring at me oddly. Breathe for intermission… and there they go, into a fit of giggles and whispers. Intimidating unintentionally. _I am so sick of feeling like everyone's pointing fingers at me… I've got to go somewhere quiet._

The library pops into my head and I turn around. _No one will bother me in the library, not unless they want to get kicked out… And Malfoy wouldn't be dumb enough to attack me there! Yes, the library is certainly the safest place around for me right now. That or the Quidditch pitch._

I start to think of flying. The relief I could experience on my broom is a pleasant thought, compared to the stress Malfoy's creating. _We have practice tomorrow, oh it will be wonderful._ Daydreaming about flying, I let memory guide my feet through the library until I notice something strange.

Sitting down at a table near the far end of the library is Hermione and Malfoy, talking, no whispering. I can barely make out their lips as they move. I can see Hermione's expression, she's annoyed. Hmmm.

I move behind the bookcases and slide towards the bookcase beside their table, glancing through the shelves to see Hermione sitting on Malfoy's right. What I noticed first through the cracks Potions for the Upcoming Warlock and Potions: Underwater! provided was that they sat together comfortably, like good friends.

"Draco, I really think you need to leave Harry alone for a bit! He's unhinged, and you're acting childish with him," Hermione whispered to Malfoy. _Hermione, I take everything back. You're the best friend anyone could ask for! But… Why are you here with Malfoy? _A spark of red flashed, curiosity came with it though. This is the second thing I noticed, Malfoy looked annoyed too. He seemed to want to be left alone.

"Hey, wasn't it you who said that it wouldn't bother you if I went after Harry? I'm pursuing him, let me work my magic, he'll come around," Malfoy said abruptly, looking down at the open book they were ignoring while they had their conversation_. Malfoy, what magic?_ I asked myself, rolling my eyes. _You have a talent for being annoying, that's about it._

"That's the problem, Draco don't you see? You're pushing too hard! Harry's freaking out, if this morning was anything to go by…" I can only agree with Hermione. Malfoy is starting to slowly start my untimely death.

"Potter overreacts way too much," Malfoy said bluntly, looking at her with a challenge. Hermione sighed and nodded, glancing down at the book too.

"Hey! I do not overreact!" _Oops, I said that out loud…_

Hermione and Malfoy look at the book shelf, startled. I slap myself lightly and go around the book shelf, smiling at Hermione apologetically. When I look over at Malfoy I give a scowl. He gives me a look up and down, frowning.

"Oh, hello Harry…" Hermione says, shifting in her chair. I decide to apologize about this morning but Malfoy opens his big mouth.

"Potter, I'm hurt, you're hiding your tie." I step backwards for a second. _You noticed?!_ My jaw drops at him for a second, before I catch it. _What is wrong with you? You really cannot care about your little joke that much... Oh wait, it's Malfoy. He's always had a bit of drama in his schemes… that always fail._ I felt a bit more grounded and confident at these thoughts.

"Draco, you should really consider…" Hermione tries,

"I already refused Hermione," Malfoy responds quickly, cutting her off before she can finish her sentence. Third thing I notice; Hermione is calling Malfoy by his first name.

"You're calling him Draco?!" I say, shocked. My eyes are probably widening as they do, because she's looking exasperated.

"Yes, I'm being friendly Harry." _Yes but still… you're on a first name basis here… Where did you come from?!_ Malfoy has managed to get in a close enough proximity of me that his hands are barely touching my chest. I feel a leap in my chest, fear, naturally. I back into the shelf as my breathing quickens.

"But… but… look at what he's done, what he's doing! Malfoy get away from me!" I say, hoping Hermione will save me.

"Draco, I told you to lay off!" Hermione snaps from behind. Malfoy is blocking her out of my view as he attempts to bring my tie out from under my shirt. My quick hands are still good for something; I'm slowing his progress in actually revealing my 'secret'.

"I want to see the tie on you, Harry." _Why the hell would you want that?!_

Malfoy's hands graze my neck. My heart stops, in fact, my whole body freezes and I feel my heart jump into my throat. Heat rushing to my face, gushing red. _Malfoy, get off of me! No, not off, get away! Yes, away! Noo not closer!! You big dunce! Harry!_ Hermione gasps and I start, struggle; but then Malfoy's lips are on mine. Blank. I know red now.

"Mr Potter! Mr. Malfoy! This is a library!" Madame Prince's voices screeches across the library. All eyes on the stars. _Damn._

* * *

Thank you for reading! Please leave a review and let me know what you think, if you have any suggestions on improvement I would love to hear them. However, I do not tolerate flames.  



	7. Seventh Knot

**Disclaimer**: I don't own anything related to Harry Potter.

**A/N**: This is hopefully the first of a few updates I'll be doing. We'll see if I can make my goal, if not, acks! I am thankful to my beta's who helped me with this update,** m.t. dog**, **Red-Rose-Priestess**, and **Alexa**. I am too demanding of them. I, erm, could not resist in this chapter... I did not change the rating because, as Alexa pointed out, it's not too bad! Enjoy!

**Pairings**: HP/DM, One-sided HG/DM (Pretty much no longer in the story!), HG/RW.

**Warning**: I did put a small "Mature" scene in this update. However, it's not graphic. Even so, this story is rated "T", if you do not wish to read that sort of thing skip over it quickly, it's really only two paragraphs. (I doubt I will put in too many of those into this story, because then poor Harry shall hate me!)

Having said all that, I hope you enjoy this knot!

* * *

"Uh…" I stutter, looking to my left to find Hermione staring at us, horrified. _I know for a fact you and Ron have kissed in here, so stop looking at me in such a way Hermione! You didn't even save me from him! _Madame Pince is stomping up to where the three of us are standing and glaring so steadily I was sure she would burst a vein. I knew right away I was now among those who have had the world turn on them in three second flat.

The first signal was all the other students who were staring at Malfoy and me, gawking. I shuddered, realizing what they all were thinking. "It's true! Malfoy and Potter are an item!" _Thank you very much, but I have never heard such a ridiculous load of crap, and I am Harry Potter; I hear crap._ Tell that to a bunch of gossiping twits.

"You are all lucky I won't ban you two from this library!" Madame Pince scolded. _Oh dear, it includes Hermione. She will murder me, she actually intended to write Snape's surprise essay on poisons and their uses. (Snape is getting more evil every year; this essay is a testimony to that.)_ "Leave immediately! The library is not a place to socialize freely!" I hear a small whimper from Hermione and feel a little guilty… but she did not help with my Malfoy problem, why should I help her now?

"Oh, we got off lucky Potter," Malfoy whispers into my ear, leaning far to close to me. _Lucky?! You call this lucky?! I call this a catastrophe, with you Malfoy, being the cause of it! _I can hear the jitters of gossip flying already, "Malfoy leaned in so closely to Potter! Oooh, they're allowing each other in their personal space now! They are so comfortable with each other!" _What is wrong with younger girls?_

Madame Pince stood there, waiting for the chorus of, "Yes ma'am" from the three of us and the happy scatters of people dispersing over the library after the most embarrassing moment of my life. _Why did so many people have to witness it_?!

Once I get out into the hall, I plan to grab Hermione's hand and make a run for it, leaving the mad bisexual to fend for himself. He would be left to deal with anyone bold enough to ask about any non-existent relationship that he may or may not have with Harry Potter. _Ah, leaving your enemy to clean up the mess!_ Eagerness spread throughout my body as soon as one foot was in the hall but Hermione then squashed it as one squashes a repulsive bug.

"I cannot believe you two!" snaps Hermione, stamping her foot on the ground and then turning on me for explanation. I knew to slowly back away; Hermione is ready to kill the idiots who messed with her finishing an essay.

"It was all him!" I cry, pointing at Malfoy. "It's not my fault he insists on being a pervert and doesn't know who he should really be kissing!"

"Hey! I do too you little--!" _No you don't._

Hermione quips with fury, causing Malfoy to shut his trap for once, "You could have blocked him Harry! I won't be able to go in there to study for a week now! And you, Draco!" She made swivel on the balls of her feet, then waited with arms crossed for an explanation from Malfoy. I only thought,_ how am I supposed to block him, Hermione, you tell me that? If you were in my shoes you'd know how hard it is!_

"Too easy of a target to resist, sorry love," Malfoy says, offering a sweet smile as an apology to Hermione. Hermione is not too pleased with his attempt and neither am I.

"WHAT?!" I cry out in exclamation.

"He's right! You're too easy!" Hermione snaps at me. I stare at her, dumbfounded. _Easy?! I am not easy!! Hermione, how could you!_! Betrayal washes over me.

Malfoy starts to snicker and I know I have to redeem myself in Hermione's eyes. "Why are you mad at me?! It was all Malfoy's doing!"

"It was yours too! If you don't want Malfoy to kiss you, steal a shield from that armour over there and stop whining about it!" She growls out, pointing at a statue holding a sword and shield. The sword makes a small movement that makes me rethink going over there to grab the iron shield and slam it over Malfoy's head. _I don't want to get in a fight with an enchanted piece of armoury over Maloy._

After saying that Hermione spins around and stalks away, I watch her go with my mouth hanging open. I then turn to Malfoy, accusations hot on my tongue.

"You! This is all you're fault! What the hell is wrong with Hermione?! What did you do to her?" I scream, convinced Malfoy has done something to my friends. They are acting suspicious. _Hermione has never sided with Malfoy before… why would she now?_ I thought back to when I first entered the library; Hermione had been sitting at a table with Malfoy and talking to him about me. _Now that I think of it… Hermione and Malfoy, over the past month have been acting friendly… Oh no! Don't tell me they're friends now?! It does explain Ron's recent behaviour…_

"I did nothing, but she's right. If you hate it so much you should know how to block me by now," Malfoy says, rolling his eyes at me. He then glances at his watch and I feel slightly put off, and then turn slightly away from him.

"You're too fucking hard to block! And even if I did you'd find another way to…" I do not notice that my voice has trailed off as I notice people staring at me. _What are they looking at? _I squint for a second, trying to see if I can read their lips, but I soon realize why people are staring at me today.

…_Oh no, the tie!_ I look down, horrified. There is the offensive tie, announcing in its own wordy way that I belong to Malfoy. I had forgotten that Malfoy had unhidden it in the commotion with Madame Pince and Hermione. _Damn it, Damn it, Damn it_.

"Too…?" Malfoy questions me, waiting for my answer. I ignore him, quickly taking my tie and stuffing it under my shirt. _I cannot believe I let people see that_… People are still looking in my direction. _I might as well ignore them and deny it all later. Yes, denial. Brilliant._

As I smooth my shirt out, pain shoots down my hand from Malfoy slapping it. "Ow! What was that for Malfoy?" I ask, dismay flowing into my mind. Malfoy pulls the tie out from under my shirt quickly, I am caught off guard. _Wha-?!_ Staring at him dumbly, I allow him to smooth the tie over my shirt.

"Potter, I want to see the tie on you for a day," Malfoy says, and I stop staring at his fingers and lift my eyes up to his. Caught in a stare, I felt as if I was a warlock in Azkaban; ruled only by feelings that make me squirm and make me feel like I fell three feet into icy cold water. It takes me a moment to register that I am staring into Malfoy's eyes like a love struck fool. Conduct that must stop.

"What?" I reply; one blink, two blinks, three. _Time to start thinking._ "No way Malfoy! The tie stays hidden." I grab the tie and start to stuff it back down my shirt.

Malfoy states, "It's not coming off until you do that." I stop, looking up at him in confusion. _Do what Malfoy?_

"Huh?" is my very eloquent response.

"Bright one, aren't you Potter," Malfoy sarcastically comments. "The tie is not going to come off unless you wear it for a full day, so everyone can see it," Malfoy explains to me, looking at his watch again.

"So I have to wear the tie for a day?" I ask, feeling for loopholes in Malfoy's plan.

"Yes, where people can see it." Found it. Malfoy responds, sighing. "Now if you'll excuse me, I must write an essay. You interrupted mine and Hermione's session." _What session?! I wonder… what Malfoy and Hermione have been up to…_

Malfoy leaves abruptly, leaving me to ponder how Hermione and Malfoy could have possibly become so… friendly with each other! _It's not possible-Malfoy is an ass who hates muggles and anything associated to them! _

The little voice, tucked away, unknown most of the time, speaks. _So why is Hermione sticking out for him?_

* * *

I would consider myself insane if I actually left the tie in plain view for everyone to see… 

The only problem is that Malfoy will not lift his little spell unless I concede to his wishes. _I want this tie off and I want it off now… But I don't want to be humiliated_. As deserving as Malfoy is to get put in a cage, I am regretting that moment in time. Severe regret. Bordering on wishing for an illegal time-turner.

There is no one who I want to talk to right now and so far the only person to dare to inch towards me has been Neville. _At least someone is still sane around here._ I had dragged Neville off to the Quidditch pitch so I could fly for a while after classes ended, needing to just race. However a near death experience that occurred while I was to busy being angry at Malfoy, calmed me considerably, and left me feeling much more pleasant.

Sweaty, I did not head for the showers after whipping around the pitch for a few miles, as I usually do. Instead I decided to sit in the stands with Neville. Gasping for breath from excursion, I lay my broom down on the wood and plop myself down beside Neville.

"Uuuuuh, Harry…" Neville says, eyeing the tie's bright letters. I can tell he is not sure about how to ask what he wants to and if his question relates to my tie, I do not want to hear his question.

I glare at him, though I still try and reply as nicely as I can manage, "What Neville?" I come out sounding like a dark lord just about to go on a mass murdering spree in the end, though.

Neville, intimated as he is, holds his own and continues, despite my grouchy mood. "Um, why are you wearing the tie above… your shirt?" I knew it, I would hate this question. Reddening with anger, I think, '_because if I don't, Malfoy will think of something much worse to do to me.' _

"It's one of the terms to getting the tie off. Or so says Malfoy," I grumble, wiping a drip from my forehead. _No matter, I will be getting this tie off after today. I can stick it. It hasn't been that bad… It's almost over._ Comforting thoughts.

"Should you believe him Harry?" Neville asks, looking at me. _Hah! As if I have a choice not to trust him. His term is not that bad… Now that it's almost over!_

"Don't act so concerned Neville, it's Malfoy, this term is humiliating, it sounds like his type of cruel revenge," I tell him, smiling with half my heart down in my stomach. _He could have done worse… that does not mean he's nice by sparing me more humiliation though!_

"If I go along with his twisted joke it will all be over soon," I state, looking across the pitch. _Then I can kill him. Ooooh happy days!_ Neville thankfully does not inquire into anything else about my Malfoy related troubles. Sitting in peaceful silence, Neville breaks it by gasping.

"Umm, Harry?"

"What is it Neville?" I ask, sounding curt. The reason I have suddenly found another reason to get agitated is because I noticed, during the quiet, peaceful, silent moment that Malfoy had located my existence. Right as Neville was speaking Malfoy was running up the stands, grinning at me. I _am doomed, Malfoy still lives._

"The tie is changing…" Neville whispers as Malfoy comes closer to us. I turn to Neville and stare him down. _Please tell me I did not hear that. _

"What?" I ask; less a question, more a wish that he is trying to trick me somehow. Neville's eyes look too honest and surprised for me to doubt him. _It is at a time like this Neville that I wish you would lie to my face and not bring my attention to problems._

"It… it now…" Neville sighs, shaking his head, unable to continue. _I don't want to know. And Malfoy is arriving…_

I grimace and ignore Malfoy's nearing figure, opting to say, "Please Neville, don't tell me."

A pair of arms wrap around my torso and Malfoy whispers slyly into my ear, "You might want to see what it says." I stiffen, shocked. Neville frowns and looks away, as if this moment is not something he should witness.

I jolt around and throw Malfoy off balance. His arms leave my body and I shiver from the loss of warmth, but I manage to scream, "AH! Don't do that!" Glaring at Malfoy, who has tumbled down into a bench, I forget that I should laugh and turn to Neville solemnly. _What has Malfoy done this time?_

"Neville, what does it say?" I question, my voice shaking a bit. _What unhinged me more, Malfoy's presence or the idea that the tie has changed… 'slogans'?_ Neville is looking at Malfoy with fear, most likely because of the smirk the stupid git is wearing. Malfoy tries to wrap his arms around me again but my quick reflexes allow me to smack his hands away.

"It… it says, I **heart** brooms…" Neville squeaks, tittering a bit on his seat. _Is that all?_

"Well that's not so…," I stop, clueing in. _No. No. No. Malfoy, you did not add this feature to your joke. No. _Refusal is not helping reality.

"Neville, there's a double meaning to that, isn't there." It is not a question, it is a knowledge that of truth. I will not be able to move from this position, with my teeth grinding as I seethe, for another few minutes.

"Yes there is," Malfoy responds, slipping his hands around my body again and pulling me in for what is suspiciously making a hug.

"Malfoy, you did not change into Neville," I snap. I do not even bother to yell at him for… _cuddling_… me. I do not bother to stop him either, as I recover from this recent shock. _I am wearing a tie, which I cannot take off, that says I heart brooms. I have to get this thing off! And it won't be done by going along with Malfoy damnit! He's only screwing me over!!_

"Thank god!" Malfoy exclaims. I barely hear him but I register that he is a jerk. Being Neville would give him more chances at being my friend; but he would never be my lover! Never. _How do I get this tie off, how? Merlin… What is next? I can't take much more of this cruel joke!_

"I wouldn't want to be Malfoy either." Neville says, smiling slightly.

For a moment Malfoy and I stare at him. He said something rather bold and I was pleased, mainly because it completely annoyed Malfoy by the way Malfoy bristled against me.

"I love you Neville!" I say joyfully, taking glee in anything that pisses Malfoy off. _I deserve to see him angry, considering the trouble he's caused me lately!_

"What?! No way! I refuse to let it be!" Malfoy says, tightening his hold on me.

I stare up at Malfoy in dismay. _I was not serious you idiot, and it is not like you have any better chances!_ Neville looks horrified.

"Harry, I like you, but as a friend only," Neville tells me at that moment. I give him a look that hopefully says, 'you cannot be serious!' _I am not gay Neville! No guy has a chance with me damnit! Oh Malfoy… You have already done damage. After I get this tie off I will strangle you with it!_

"Yeah… I do too…?" I respond, finally prying Malfoy's fingers apart and shifting away from him. Malfoy gives me a disappointed look but seems satisfied. _You're lucky you got near me for as long as you did!_

Neville sighs in relief. "Oh good, well, I'll be going," He says, getting up and starting to walk down the stands. _Okay… Wait no!! You can't do this to me!! I'll be stuck with creepy snake-boy here!!!_

Alarmed, I shout after Neville and get up, "Wait, Neville, don't leave me with Horny here!!!"

Malfoy grabs my hand and whispers, "You're not going anywhere." Glaring at him, I allow myself to be pulled into Malfoy's lap. If Neville will not save me, I will save myself. Eventually.

"Sorry Harry!" Neville calls from below, making no attempt to show that he notices my current seat on Malfoy's lap. _How dare you leave me Neville_. I glare at the wooden floor, trying to see if I can burn it with my eyes. No success.

I mumble, "No you're not."

"Thank you Merlin, I have you all to myself," Malfoy says cheerfully, pulling me towards him and then he nuzzles my neck. I frown, deciding this is encouragement of the worst kind.

"You do not! Let go of me, I'm going!" I cry out, punching him in the gut.

Malfoy's grip is still as strong as ever, as if my punch did nothing to him. He kisses my neck slowly, licking over the part where he kisses very lazily, and before I know it, I'm down on the bench with Malfoy becoming a vampire.

"Malfoy, stop kissing my neck! I'm not--!" Malfoy cuts me off by closing my mouth with his, taking his time to suck on my bottom lip and slip his tongue over mine in one wet mess. His hand lifted up my search and his fingers slowly traveled the length of my upper body, tickling. Pulling away, I try to resist by yelling at him to stop it. "MALFOY! DOOOON'T!!!"

Malfoy's wandering hand and kisses stop, and I sigh with relief. "Potter, it'll be fine." _What is that supposed to… OH MERLIN!! _Malfoy's hand delved into my pants and from then on, I was gone. A mess, I can only cry out and hold on. Twist after arousing twist, Malfoy slowly, with his own right hand, made me forget why it mattered that he wasn't a girl.

Malfoy smiled down at me and caught my lips with his as I moaned, kissing me furiously as he worked. I grind my hips to his pulls and cling to him in a jumbled mess of limbs, sweat, and moans. Through the slits my eyes make I watch Malfoy smile down at me, happily. I cannot register that he is being gentle.

There is only one destination. And Malfoy helps me reach it within minutes. Arching up, I take off from the bench, directly into Malfoy's arms. Up, down, up, Up, down, down, down.

* * *

_I should have been smouldering, hating him every moment of that encounter. Well, I was smouldering… NO!_ The tryst ended in the confusing mess that it had started, for me at least. Malfoy had gotten up, stared down at me, and kissed my lips… I responded with desperation pouring from my lips. 

"Don't stay here too long, Harry." My heart skipped when he said that and he gently smoothed my hair back, tidying my clothes. I was just lying on the bench, a useless muck.

Malfoy left quickly, a good idea, because when I became something near conscious with the right state of mind I was livid. I still am. Right now in the common room, I hold my quill, mulling over what happened, and draw small doodles on a piece of parchment. The doodles feature Malfoy spontaneously combusting._ Malfoy completely lied! The tie never came off, even after I wore it to supper! Even after he assaulted me! I can't go along with him anymore… He's a lying asshole!_

I had all but been dragged to supper by Ginny, the tie had not changed yet and I could not stand the thought of anyone seeing it. But see it they did, it never came off either! All I could do was fume at Malfoy more. I did not, and still don't, want to see Malfoy, his hand, or his bloody smirk!

I was about to turn his smirk into a piece of rotting fish when my anger turned on Neville, who had the misfortune to sit across from me and block my view of Malfoy. He got in the way of my hex. (I had my wand prepared under the table and everything!) For Malfoy, luck shone down on in with angel wings. For Neville, disaster struck with a devil's forked tail. I roared at him for a good half minute.

Ron approaches me where I huddle in my corner and sits down beside me. I put down my quill as he asks, "Harry, what did Neville do to you?" _Oh so that's why you came here, just because I called him a dumb coward... And a fuckwit… And right git… What else did I say?_

"He left me when I was in need," I snap, glaring at Neville, who is following behind Ron. Hermione is with the two as well, frowning at me. _Still angry about what happened at the library, is she?_

"But Malfoy…" Neville tries in an attempt to cool my rage. _If you had been there Neville, I would never have ended up under Malfoy! It's your fault that what happened today happened!_

"Stand up to him damn it!" I growl, picking my quill up again. Rage compels me to draw Malfoy being torn limb from limb. _I can send it to him with, "I love you!"_

"I could say the same thing to you, Harry," Hermione responds dangerously, glaring at me. _It's not my fault!_

"I tried! Why are you angry at me?! I'm the victim in his twisted plot!" I scream, no longer able to control myself; I need to let out with a bang. Over half the common room can hear my bang too.

"He just has a crush on you, you idiot!" Hermione says, bringing reason into the conversation. Sensible of her.

"CRUSH?! What I felt for Ginny was a crush, what Malfoy feels for me is sick! I could tolerate a crush from a guy, no seriously Hermione! But I GOT ATTACKED!!!" I cry out, drawing in more of a crowd. _And if Neville had been there I am sure control would have reigned over the situation!_

"Oh come on, a few kisses…" Hermione tries reason again, but I cut in too quickly.

"NO! HE FUCKING—," I stop myself, having said too much already.

"What did Malfoy do?!" Ron asks, looking a bit unhinged.

"Malfoy… He—he…" I start to blush deep red, my memory smacking me across the face. _I did not put up much of a struggle…I barely remember struggling at all… And I did not make him stop; I went along with him… It doesn't mean a thing though! It can't mean…_ A little voice keeps whispering, 'It means something, pleasure means something.'

"Harry, did he really do something worse than kissing?" Hermione questions, her voice wavering. Looking worried, she places her hand on my shoulder. _Oh, now she's concerned._

"I—I don't know." I reply, placing my hand on hers. I feel comforted, to know she does not want Malfoy to take too much advantage of me. It does not, however, make up for the fact she does not care if he kisses me.

"Huh?" Ron and Neville say, equal in their confusion. The small crowd of Gryffindors that have gathered around us are straining their ears to hear what I am saying, now that I am no longer yelling.

"How can you not know?!" Hermione exclaims, pulling away and swatting me on the head by accident.

"Because I ENJOYED IT! But it's wrong, wrong, wrong!!! Disgusting!" I snap. _If it was right I wouldn't notice girls, I would notice boys. But I'm straight! _My expression is one that I would wear if a troll tried to kiss me.

Everyone stares at me with amazement, before turning away and continuing on with their night. Most of them did not bother to spare me a second glance, I was irrelevant. My problems were small. Only a few of my friends bothered to stay with me. _Don't pay attention to me if you're uninterested…_

"Potter, just finally admit it," Seamus says grumpily, leaning against the stone wall.

"Admit what?" I respond, bemusement flowing through my mind and face.

"You're Bi," Seamus says, yawning after. My friends seem to agree with this statement, as if it is logical. The understanding and agreement aura floating around them makes me sick. Ill with the thought they believe.

I stare at the bug. _I am not bisexual!! Malfoy is not attractive to me!!_

"It's possible…" Hermione says slowly, eyeing me with caution. _I hope she knows I now hate her for that. _I do not meet her eyes, my grudge is made.

"You cannot be serious Hermione! I have never been attracted to other guys!" I protest, yet everyone is giving me a look that questions my sincerity. Sighing, I snap, "Goodbye." I get up from the floor and walk away, a stomp in my step. _Everyone I know is insane. I am so screwed._

"Where's he off to?" Neville asks.

"To shag Malfoy with this new found discovery," Seamus quips, laughing loudly. Unfortunately I have yet to get out of hearing distance from them. But, Seamus' comment sparks an idea. I stop for a second and look down at my tie. _If I conceal my tie I can pass today off as a sick joke, and not go through anymore embarrassment… And take care of all these problems Malfoy has created!_

"Please Merlin, let that not be the case," Ron whimpers, shuddering as I look behind me. _It's not the case Ron, don't worry. _

"Ron! That's unsupportive!" Hermione berates Ron for his comment. _Please Hermione, do not help Malfoy anymore. Help me._ I start to walk back to her, hope in my eyes.

"It's Malfoy!" Ron shoots back at her.

"It's Harry's love life!" Seamus starts to snicker at Ron, who sighs and glares at the floor.

_You are all mad_. I tap Hermione on the shoulder. "Hermione, could you come with me?" Hermione turns her face towards me and Ron starts to get up as well. "Let's go outside," I suggest and my two friends follow me out.

Once out in the hall and away from the Fat Lady, who tried to stop us from taking one step away from the common room entrance since it was curfew, Ron asks, "What do ya want mate?"

"I want to make the tie disappear." _Then everything will be right._

"Oh Harry, you can't do that! Only Malfoy can make it come off!" Hermione responds, looking upset. _I'm not that stupid! I know that already!_

"Not disappear completely!" I snap at her. Cooling, I lower my voice, "Malfoy's condition that I know of so far, was that I wear the tie where people could see. He never said anything about people having to see it. My tie simply needs to be above my shirt to meet his condition. I want to make it so only the caster can see his spell, please help me out here. I cannot take much more of Malfoy…" I plead with my eyes into Hermione's own.

Ron laughs and pats my back. "It's brilliant Harry! We can best the git now!!" _Thank you Ron._

Hermione breaks down a bit, and sighs. "Well…" She slowly says, thinking. _Come on Hermione! Malfoy crossed too many lines, help me!_

"Well?" I inquire, hanging onto her words. I hope my eyes are shining with need and hope.

They must be. Hermione caves. "You could always…" _Hermione, even though you all but said I am bisexual, you have redeemed yourself now._

* * *

Review please! Let me know your thoughts. Thank you to all those who reviewed and to those who inquired for updates. _  
_


End file.
